NOTES OF BOOK SALES—CATALOGUES, ETC.
Reading edition
It is our purpose from time to time to call the attention of our book-buying friends to the approaching sales of any collections which may seem to us to deserve their attention; and to any catalogues which may reach us containing books of great rarity and curiosity. Had we entertained no such intention we should have shown our respect for the memory of that intelligent, obliging, and honourable member of the bookselling profession (to whom a literary man rarely addressed a QUERY, without receiving in reply a NOTE of information worth preserving), the late Mr. Thomas Rodd, by announcing that the sale of the first portion of his extensive and valuable stock of books will commence on Monday next, the 19th instant, and occupy the remainder of that week.
The following Lots are among the specimens of the rarities contained in this portion of Mr. Rodd's curious stock:—
189 ACTS OF PARLIAMENT, Orders, Declarations, Proclamations, &c. 1657 to 1660, the original Papers and Broadsides collected and bound in 1 vol. calf 1657-60 *** This very important volume contains the Acts, &c. during the period intervening between Scobell's Collection and the recognized Statutes of Charles II. As the laws during this period have never been collected into a regular edition, a series of them is of the greatest rarity. 194 ÆSOP, FABLES, TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH WILLIAM CAXTON, curious wood engravings black letter, VERY RARE, imperfect, old russia EMPRYNTED BY RICHARD PYNSON (NO DATE) *** This edition is altogether unknown and undescribed. The present copy commences with signature C1, and extends to sig. S(v) in sixes, on the reverse of which is the colophon, with Pynson's device underneath. It wants sheets A and B, and E (iiii). 380 Cellii (E.) Eques Auratus Anglo-Wirtembergieus; id est, actus admodum Solennis; quo Jacobus Rex Angliæ, &c. Regii Garteriorum supremus ac Frid. Ducem Wirtembergicum, per Rob. Spencer Barnoem declaravit, portrait woodcut Tubing. 1605 *** This was Sir Wm. Dethick's copy, Garter King at Arms, who accompanied Lord Spencer in his journey; in it he has written some very curious circumstances respecting the journey, and of the ill-treatment he experienced from Sir Rob. Spencer and Wm. Seager, "a poore paynter, sonne of a base fleminge and spawne of a Jew," with an account of the family of Dethick, or De Dyk, of Derbyshire and Staffordshire. 475 CHRISTINE OF PISA. THE FAYT OF ARMES AND OF CHYVALRYE black letter, one leaf inlaid and three or four beautifully fac-similed, otherwise a fine and perfect copy, russia extra, gilt leaves, by C. Lewis WESTMESTRE, PER CAXTON, MCCCCLXXXIX *** This work consists of 139 leaves, exclusive of the table, occupying two leaves. The Colophon of the Printer is one of great interest, filling the two last pages. It thus commences:—"Thur endeth this boke, whiche xpyne of pyse made drewe out of the boke named Vegecius de re militari and out of tharbre of bataylles wyth many other thynges sett in to the same requisite to werre and batailles, which boke beyng in Frenshe was delyvered to me Willm Caxton by the most crysten kinge and sedoubted prynce, my naturel and souvrayn Lord Kyng Henry the VII, Kyng of England and of France, in his Palais of Westmestre, the 23 day of Janyuere, the III of his regne, and desire and wylsed me to translate this said boke and reduce it into our enlish natural tonge and to put it in enprynte, &c." 522 ENGLAND:—Copy of a Letter written by a Spanish Gentleman to his Friend in England in refutation of sundry Calumnies there falsely bruited among the People, 1589—An Advertisement written to a Secretarie of my Lord Treasurer of Ingland by an Inglish Intelligencer as he passed through Germanie towards Italie; also a Letter written by the Lord Treasurer, 1592. *** Two very rare and curious historical pieces, written by a zealous Catholic in defence of Philip II. 944 Neumayr van Ramszla (J.W.) Johann fursten des Jungern Hertzogen zu Sachsen, Reise in Franckreich Engelland und Nederland, port. and plates russia extra, gilt leaves Lips. 1620 *** The volume contains accounts of many of the pictures and curiosities in the royal palaces of Westminster, St. James, &c.
On the following Monday will commence the sale of the theological portion of his collection, which will occupy eight days, and conclude on the 4th of December. The sales are entrusted to the management of Messrs. S. Leigh Sotheby & Co. of Wellington Street.
We have also received from Mr. Asher of Berlin, a copy of the Bibliotheca Tieckiana—the sale catalogue of the library of Ludwig Tieck, the distinguished German poet, novelist, and critic. The sale will commence at Berlin on the 10th December, with the English portion of the library, which besides the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th folios, is particularly rich in works illustrative of Shakespeare, and of translations of various portions of our great dramatist's writings. The following lot, comprising an edition, we believe, not very generally known, and containing the manuscript notes and comments of so profound a critic as Ludwig Tieck, ought to find an English purchaser.
2152 THE PLAYS OF W. SHAKSPEARE, with the Corrections and Illustrations of various Commentators, to which are added Notes by Johnson and Steevens. 23 vols. gr. in 8vo. Basil 1800-1802 "Exemplaire unique et de la plus grande importance, contenant des notes sans nombre de la main de M. Tieck. Ces notes renferment les fruits d'une étude de plus de 40 ans sur le grand poète, par son plus grand traducteur et commentateur, et forment le texte du grand ouvrage sur Shakspeare, promis depuis si longtemps."
One of the most curious articles in this catalogue, copies of which may be obtained from the London Agent for the sale, Mr. Nutt, of the Strand, is No. 1965, a copy of Lilly's Sixe Court Comedies, which had belonged to Oliver Cromwell, and appears to contain his autograph.
There are few literary men who have not, in the course of some one or other of their inquiries, experienced the difficulty there is in procuring copies of pamphlets which being for the most part originally published for purposes of temporary interest, are rarely preserved by binding, and consequently when afterwards wanted become extremely difficult of attainment. We all remember the valuable Catalogue published many years since by Mr. Rodd, of Newport Street, the father of Mr. Thomas Rodd, and have often regretted the loss of our copy of that extensive collection; and we record now for the information of our readers the publication by Mr. Russell Smith, of 4. Old Compton Street, of Part I. of a Catalogue of a singular and unique collection of 25,000 ancient and modern Tracts and Pamphlets: containing I. Biography, Literary History, and Criticism; II. Trials, Civil and Criminal; III. Bibliography and Typography; IV. Heraldry and Family History; V. Archæology; VI. Architecture, Painting, and Sculpture; VII. Music; VIII. Metaphysics.