New-York tribune., 1912-01-13
A CAXTON BRINGS $1,000
Lively Bidding at Both Sessions
of the Hoe Library Sale.
1900 FOR "VlTAS PATRUM"
Family Buys Publications of the
Grolier Club-Day's Sales
Nearly $4,000.

~NCol ~ p1OJ WV
J. Pierpont Morgan was twice worsted
in the book market yesterday through his
representatives, according 10 one OF the ex-
perts attending the sale OF the Robert Hoe
library at the Anderson Auction Galleries.
George D. Smith, New York dealer whose
purchases al the first part Of the sale last
spring far out-totalled those Of any other
buyer. came into his own again. taking
away the two choice offerings Of the after
noon session from Dr. Joseph Martini, who
was bidding for Morgan, 1t was said Dur
ing most Of the session ne sat next to Miss
Ada Thurston, who, with Miss Belle de
Costa Green, takes care of the Morgan
libraries. An unusually large and almost
perfect copy Of Ralph Higdens Poly
cronicon.' translated and printed by Will
lam Caxton in 14S2, was the book over
which the battle ragged fercest. Mr.. Smith
finally got it for 5000 This volume was
the only original work of any magnitude
CaXton undertook There are only two
other copies in existence comparable with
the Hoe copy-one in the Rylands -Iemorial
Library. in Manchester, and the other III
the New York Public Library.
The other book OF rare value was large
copy os Hieronynus's 'Vitas Patrum,' also
a translation by William CaXton, but print
ed az "Westmvnstre by me Wynkyn de
Worde the we're of our Lorde MCCCC.
LXXXXV. and the tenth we're Of our souer-
awe Lorde Kyng Henry the Seuenth.
Authorities differed as to whether this vol
une was the Corser copy, which sold in
1871 for Gl42 or the Ives copy. which sold
in 1891 for $3.50 Mr. Smith took II away
from DR. Martini with bid OF $500
Volumes printed by the Grolier Club, OF
which Robert Hoe was the founder and
first president. and several others Of which
he was the author. brought out spirited
bids from the members Of the Hoe family
The first of these. which happened also
10 be the first book published by the
Grolier Club, was purchased by Robert
Hoe, ir, for 800 Others who bought pup
Tcations Of the club were Arthur Hoe, Mrs.
slade. a daughter Of the collector; Miss
Theresa Benson, a granddaughter. and the
New York State Library. The highest price
--S41D-was paid by George D. Smith Tor
one Of the two copies of Washington lrv-
ing's History Of New York" printed by
the club on velum.
Among the bidders yesterday was Andrew
Keogh, reference librarian OF Yale Uni
versity and librarian OF the recently found
ed Elizabethan Club, 10 which Alexander
Smith Cochran presented the forty-two lots
Of Shakespeare and the early editions OF
Poccaccio's "Decamerone," which he bought
AZ the Huth sale in London this fall. The
rare first edition of Bacon's Essays, which
Bernard Quaritch purchased at the hutn
sale for Gl95O and later sold to Mr.. Coch-
ran for more than $4,000. was delivered TO
the club last Wednesday.
Mr.. Keogh, at the evening session, made
public for the first time the gift to the
Elzabethan Club Of a panel painting OF
Queen Elizabeth, done from life and In an
almost perfect state Of preservation. he
withheld the name Of the donor, but said
the valuable art treasure had Just arrived
from England. The copy Of "Bacon's Es-
says" Mr.. Cochran gave TO the club is held
by authorities TO be one Of the rarest works
in the English language. II weighs only |
three and one-half ounces, being thus worth |
nearly 5000 an ounce. II was on this little
volume that the word Essays" was used
for the first time in the meaning TO which
Il is now attached
]. p. Morgan scored once at the evening
session. if DR.. Martini was still bidding as
his representative, securing a first edition
OF an illuminated Book of Hours, printed
by Aldus in Venice in 1897, decorated with
the autographs of Philip Melanchthon and
John Huss. together with several Greek
hymns in the handwriting Of the former.
He paid $525 for It, Bernard Quaritch capt
ured the two finest HOra. however paying
the highest price of the evening a first
hid Of Sl1OO This was for a Hore from
Ihe press Of O. Maillard, at Paris, under
the date of 15A2. It was printed from the
wood blocks found in the stock Of Geofroy
Tory which Maillard took over on the death
OF the famous printer. The second highest
price was $50. which the Londoner paid for
the Firmin-Didot copy OF the most beauti-
ful Hours printed in France during the
Renaissance.
Three lots of manuscripts from the pen
OF Washington Irving were bought a the
evening session for Isaac y. Seligman, it
was said. G. s. Heman. the buyer merely
said he Lad bought the manuscripts for a
New Yorker who had the best collection
Of Irving manuscripts cXtant one Of the
manuscripts was a journal OF the writer
tour through France and Italy In 1904. the
earliest ever offered for auction. and an"
other was an apparently unpublished ac-
count Of his European travels in 1905. The
three went for SL7lo. A fourth was bought
by Dr. Martini on behalf Of Arthur Hoe
for 500.
Mr Hellman is the dealer from whom
J p Morgan bought the Wakeman collec-
ton OF American manuscripts several
years ago. containing almost all OF Haw-
thorne's Thoreau's and Poes writings, be
sides many others.
Several Of Ben Jonsons plays helped to
bring the days total up to S395Oi. OF which
the evening contributed Sl5.S97 %. The total
for the first week OF Part Of the auction
was announced as t229O24 %, bringing the
grand total up to sl225.3s9 10. The sessions