The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-15

rarities. The list Of sh~akespeareana In
oludes suoh treasures an 9TH Tragical His
tory Of Romeus and juliet, 1857; Greene's
AGroatsworth Of Wit and 4Pandosta,'
both dated 1892; Clerke's "~Polimanteia,'
1896: Mefes's wits Treasury 1893, &o'
'Romeus and Juliet" 1867, translated by
Arthur Brooke from the Italian,of Bandello,
Is q unique copy Of the second edition.
Only two perfect copies Of the frst edition;
1852, are known. This work gave Shake
speare the story Of Romeo and Juliet
Greene's "Groatsworth Of Wit" 1909. oon-
tains the first authentic reference TO Shake
speare by name.
Meres's AWits' Treasury 1893, the most
interesting Of all early examples Of Shake
speariena, makes fiattering illusions to
venus and Adonis, 'Luorece, b SON.
nets still unpublished, and to twelve OF
the genuine plays, only six Of which were
then printed.
Mr.. Whites collection also contains
among other specimens Of the pseudo
Shakespearian plays @The Merry Devil OF
Edmonton, ,ieOs, Of which only two other
copies are known-the one In Trinity Col
iege library, Cambridge, England, and Mr..
Perry's, the latter bringing Rsoo in 1909.
Mr.. Perry's G1o 900 purchase Of folios.
which has been mentioned, is only one OF
many highly important Shakespearian
purchases made by him during the last
two decades. One Of his chief treasures is
doubtless the great special collection made
by James o. Halliwell- Philippe, who
during a life Of nearly 80 evenly years spent
a fortune in acquiring rare books and prints
and precious manuscripts associated with
Shakespeare.
Collections OF similar character are the
series OF Shakespeare forgeries originally
sold by w. H. Ireland to John Dent for
E9Oo, and the "Colleotanea Shakespeareana'
made by George Chalmers. Ireland dupli-
Gated and Implicated copies Of his forgeries
but Mr.. Perry's collection is beyond all
question the best and largest.
The special gathering Of shakespeare
folios in Perry's library is probably the
most extensive in existence. His collection
of early editions Of the poems and quarto
plays rivals In importance the British
Museum, Devonshire, Trinity College,
Christie Miller, HUH, Bodleian, Church.
White and other collections.
An early poetical acquisition was the
venus and Adonis" Of 1888. the finest Of
the two known copies Of the eighth edition,
for which he paid 81. $50 at the Ives sale In
1901. Most Of his purchases since that time
have been made abroad and have been the
amazement Of England and Europe.
His bids to his English representative
are practically unlimited. and he has not
hesitated to pay such record prices as
El, $50 for the Richard the Third Of 1905.
e. $40 for Much Ado About Nothing
1900; 81 900 for Henry the Fourth 1905
(arst part); e4sO for King Letr,' 1905, &c.
The last named play is the source Of Shake
speare's king Lear Mr.. Church WINS
the only other American copy.
One Of the greatest treasures In the Perry
collection is a volume containing seven Of
the genuine plays and two Of the pseudo
S~hakespearian dramas, bound together In
the contemporary stitched condition, as
issued in 1919 by Thomas Pavier. This
volume, the only n known In the original
binding, was discovered several years ago
in Germany. A similar volume was re-
Gently broken up in London, and the plays
were sold separately for e ,0s8.
Another Perry treasure equally precious
In character IL a volume containing the
first edition Of sThe Troublesome Raign
of John, King of England, 1891, the anony-
nous play which served as the foundation
story Of shakespeare's king john For
many years the Trinity College copy was
thought to be the only known example Of
this extraordinarily rare pre-Shakespearian
drama.
In 1909, however, another copy was un-
earthed and was sold to Mr.. Perry for E5lo,
It now has for distinguished neighbors
the hundreds Of famous rarities and curl
osities which form the most important
Shakespearian collection in private pos
session, safely housed in 1reproof cases
denoe.