Note 386 — The Drawing Room. (continued 3)

"A Catalogue of the genuine and elegant Library of the late Sir C.C. Dormer, collected by Lieutenant General James Dormer; which will be sold, &c., by Samuel Baker, at his house in York-Street, Covent Garden; to begin on Monday, February the 20th, 1764, and to continue the nineteen following evenings." At the end of the catalogue we are told that the books were "in general of the best editions, and in the finest condition, many of them in large paper, bound in morocco, gilt leaves," &c. This was a very choice collection of books; consisting almost entirely of French, Greek, Latin, Italian, and Spanish. The number of articles did not exceed 3082; and of volumes, probably not 7000. The catalogue is neatly printed, and copies of it on large paper are exceedingly scarce. Among the most curious and valuable articles are the following:——no. 599. Les Glorieuses Conquestes de Louis le Grand, par Pontault, en maroquin. Paris, 1678. ("N.B. In this copy many very fine and rare portraits are added, engraved by the most eminent masters.")——no. 604. Recueil des Maisons Royales, fort bien gravés par Sylvestre, &c. (N.B. In the book was the following note. "Ce recueil des Maisons Royales n'est pas seulement complet, en toutes manières, mais on y a ajouté plusieurs plans, que l'on ne trouvent que très rarement.")——no. 731. Fabian's Chronicle, 1559.——752, Hall's ditto. 1548.——751. Higden's Polychronicon. 1527. (I suspect that Dr. Askew purchased the large paper Hutchinson's Xenophon, and Hudson's Thucydides. nos. 2246, 2585.)——no. 2249. Don Quixote, por Cervantes. Madr., 4to., 1605. In hoc libro hæc nota est. "Cecy est l'edition originale; il y a une autre du mesme année, imprimée en quarto à Madrid, mais imprimée apres cecy. J'ay veu l'autre, et je les ay comparez avec deux autres editions du mesme année, 1605; une imprimée à Lisbonne, en 4to., l'autre en Valentia, en 8vo."——no. 2590. Thuanus by Buckley, on large paper, in 14 volumes, folio; a magnificent copy, illustrated with many beautiful and rare portraits of eminent characters, mentioned by De Thou. (N.B. This very copy was recently sold for 74l.)——From no. 2680 to the end of the Catalogue (401 articles) there appears a choice collection of Italian and Spanish books.