The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-04-08
DWIGHT CHURCH'S BOOKS SOLD
VALUED AT S1,aSO,OOO AND
SOLD FOR ABOUT THAT SUM.
G'o"Ec y. smith. q Dealer. Announced
~ the Duyer-CataIosue Cost $50.
OO Rare Shakespeare Items Rich
Also In Early American Publications.

George D. Smith. book dealer of ~
Wall street. announced yesterday that
he had purchased the library of the late
f. Dwight Church. which ia said to have
cost its owner $780, 900. Mr.. Smith did
no, give out the purchase price. but he
said that it was not far from the sum at
which the library has been appraised.
This is said to be the largest single trans
action in rare books that has ever taken
place.
IN the collection are between $500 and
aDo volumes. many Of them first edi-
tons Of English books from the time Of
CaUon down. while the collection Of
Americana is one Of the finest extant.
Included are many volumes and manu.
scripts bearing upon the early history Of
New York. and there is complete set
Of the early laws of New York State and
the laws Of New York city from the press
Of William Bradford. New York's first
printer. All the early New England
writers are represented. and there in an
immense amount of matter bearing upon
,olonialvand revolutionary history. One
Interesting item Is a complete copy Of
The first printed laws Of New England.
tor which the State of Massachusetts
offered $25. some years ago.
r.. Dwight Church spent more than
thirty years assembling the library. He
many a coveted first" at Christie's was
knocked down to him or his agent. The
,ataloguing Of the library cost $4,000
to produce and comprises seven bulky
volumes. five Of which are devoted to
Americana and the other two to English
literature.
Mr.. Church was quiet buyer and was
known as a fine judge Of the value Of
hook. He lived at AZ Plaza street. Brook
iyn. and after his death. August 30. 1908.
his collection was removed TO n storage
warehouse. where it still is. Mr. Smith, who
vas one Of the biggest buyers at the sale
of the late Augustin DAILY. and who bought
one-third Of the collection Of the late Henry
W. Poor. said that he had been after the
library for between four and five months
and that there had been two other bidders
against him. The deal was closed yester-
day morning. with f. d. Church. son of
The late collector. and the latters widow
The English part OF the collection,
generally speaking. included volumes
from Caxton down to the latter part OF
the nineteenth century. There are single
specimsns OF the early English printers
taxton, Richard Pynson. Julian Notary.
Wynkyn de Worde and William Copeland
There are "firsts' Of Spenser's "Faerie
eueene" and The Shepheardes Calen-
dar." and OF Shakespeariana there is n
great variety and quantity. Included
are eleven or twelve different issues of
the four folios. and OF the quarto editions
Of his poems and plays thirteen first
editions, fifteen second editions. and two
tw enty seven later ones. Besides of the
plays at one time or another attributed
- him there are six firsts. four seconds
and four OF later dates.
samuel Butler Bunyan and Milton
re well represented. There are two
early editions of -Hudibras," first of
Pilgrims Progress" and all the early
editions OF Paradise Lost" and of "Co-
mus There are firsts of Defoe and
Swift and Goldsmith. and several of
Fielding's books. Cowper's poems, and
there 10 fine collection Of Charles Lamb
with manuscript letters, including the
essayist's proposal of marriage to Miss
Kelly. Then there are first editions of
scott and Dickens and Thackeray. One
rare volume is first in Spanish of Don
yuiyote. Then there are twenty-siy
Illuminated manuscripts.
Heading the list OF Americans perhaps
: the original manuscript OF Franklin's
autobiography" which the new owner
Values at s5OOOO. Then there are the
ltiters OF Columbus. and the accounts
Df all the early voyagers. There are two
autograph letters Of Major Andre, includ-
'ng his parole when he was taken prisoner
The first time in Pennsylvania. There
ARE the first set of Laws for New Eng
and" printed about 1890. There is a
copy Of the BAY Psalm Book" the first
book printed in what is now the United
states. and in 1910 There is Wash
ngton's own geneaolgy, written in his
pwn hand, and one finds Dentons His
tory Of New York" There are many
bradford Almanacks and imprints.
Running over the list Of things hur-
riedly one finds Grolier binding of Benz
ho's eli Asolani." 1915; first edition of
Walton's -Compleat Angler" 1853. in the
original binding Ia similar copy brought
s. 80 some years ago in London); all the
yoyagers. Hakluyt. De Bry There is a
first Of The Life and Strange Surprizing
Adventures of Robinson Crusoe," an
original in three volumes. l7I9 the manu-
script Of Dickens's "Dcmeanor of MUIR
d"rcrs," 1855; first edition of Gray 's
-llegy," i75i and -Book of Hours
dating back to the fourteenth century,
There is fine copy of Colden's Five
Indian Tribes" New York. i727. and
Nh" works of the Mathers, Cotton and
Increase There is volume Of vhe first
laws of New Jersey and in fact a collection
"r ,no cud.s OF most Of the early colonies,
u''ie - copy Of the earliest known edi-
'lon Of the New England Primer" 1888.
and there is an almanac printed in Cam
bridge, Mass, ~ early as l8is. A Wood 4
N"w England Prospect of 1880 il also
"a b" found Then there are a copy OF
foN's Northwest Passage" 1885. a first
first Of John Smiths History Of Vir-
rnla, 1882. together with some of his
"'i"r works; Hariot's Virginia" which
- sad to have cost Mr.. Church between
500 tnd $1,000 And these named are
u.r a small part
a" purchaser homes to be able to re-
-iI tho collection intact orfailing that he