ramble from the passing world in recreative contemplation, the mind feels additionally gratified in tracing the picturesque views, and delineating the solitude, harmony, and domestic scenes of nature, and imbibes new interest by the familiarity of the "speaking picture." Speculative collections are occasionally brought forward; the typographical one was the fourth from the same proprietor, which are particularly distinguishable by collections in folio of the works of Sir William Dugdale, viz. "Monasticon Anglicanum, 4 vols. 1655, 61, 73, and 82. Same epitomized, 1693. Same in English, with Stevens's continuation, 3 vols. 1718, 22-3. On imbanking and draining the Fens, 1656. Same by Cole, 1772. Warwickshire, 1656. Same printed at Coventry, 1765. Saint Paul's Cathedral, 1658. Same by Maynard, 1716. Origines Juridiciales, 1666, 2d Edit. 1671; 3d Edit. 1680. Office of Lord Chancellor, 1672. Baronage of England, 2 vols. 1675-6. Troubles of England, 1681. Summons to Parliament, 1685. These bound in russia, with plates by Hollar, &c. are estimated to be worth 200 guineas. The price or supposed nominal value of books is considered a matter of sufficient importance for the inquiry to out-run, in many instances, a critical or proper knowledge of the author. Whether the work has real merit, and be entitled to class with the valuable productions of reference, seems an immaterial question, unresolved and neglected; for the thesis of philosophy, topography and history, or the interesting flights of genius, bow in price to the unmeaning and artificial word scarcity; and the dullest writer or prosaic poet being rare, unreasonably takes precedence. Upon the purchase of books theory is useless, and those who infer their libraries to have arisen in value from containing similar or better copies of works (either ancient or modern) sold This work has very lately been discovered as printed in folio. It is commonly found at the end of "Bacon's Resuscitatio." under under names of the celebrity attached to a Farmer, Steevens, or Reed, must ever be deceived in the calculation, nor will those names help to form a ratio to guide a purchaser. At such sales the prices are enhanced by factitious circumstances, the auction room then becomes the particular lounge of the indolent collector, and the wanton bidder as well as the literary man. The first of these idle characters bids in consideration of the name of the previous possessor— the second follows the mandarin movement of the head from the fashion of the place, while the last purchases at an advanced price as being a collated copy or other similar efficient reason; but if the same article were again offered in an anonymous sale it might perhaps not find a purchaser at above half the sum originally given. To an anonymous sale, however richly stored, the indolent collector seldom wanders, and the wanton bidder fears to go; hence arises one source for the rarest works being continually found in the shops of Manson, Uphill, Triphook, and Sancho, or any other collector of old books, marked at prices beneath the level of any computation formed upon an average of those given at the sales of literary repute. A priced catalogue is now become a favourite reference, where, upon inspection, many articles will appear to have risen above reasonable value, while others are apparently sunk below the common transferable medium, and condition, always a material point, as it cannot be fully disclosed, proves this source but a faithless guide, Mr. Reed discontinued practice in the law from conscientious reasons; at what period he first began to decline practising has not been ascertained: it seems probable to have taken place in 1781. On December the fifth, in that year, and two following-evenings, the historical, juridical, and miscella neous books, part of the library of a barrister deceased, was sold by Mr. Paterson in King Street, Covent Garden. This collection appears by his own hand writing to have been the property of Mr. Reed, Lots 442 proBuced 1031. 178 It has been said from an eminent literary pen, that "the age for collecting is past;" true it may be that early printed books are not so easily obtained as they were fifty years back, for then they lay scattered upon the stalls and were considered as little above waste; and even at a late period a first folio edition of Shakspeare's plays was destroyed as useless in a bookseller's warehouse. Old works now pass more hands, are minutely examined, and, known to be fraught with valuable materials, certainly have become scarce; but thence arises greater excitement for research; that which is easy of attainment, in possession, is but little valued! The incertitude of price also increases the interest in obtaining, for although the golden book of Marcus Aurelius, as translated by Lord Berners, found a determined buyer in Reed's sale at two pounds; yet the same hammer, a few weeks preceding, transferred possession of a copy at the very old price of sixpence a modern tract upon Warton's History of English Poetry has lately passed with similar fluctuation; and some readers may, doubting veracity, hesitate to believe that a clean uncut perfect copy of Chauncey's Hertfordshire was wittingly sold by public auction in London, September 1807, with above thirty persons in the room, for a few shillings over three pounds. Such instances of variation in price (and more could have been enumerated) are sufficient to prove, that not any criterion can be formed as a general. guide for the value of books; and it may, perhaps, also be considered, that "the age for collecting is not quite past.” Conduit street. J. H. ART. XVIII. Literary Intelligence. There has lately been announced, in one volume, with vignettes, The Caledonian Muse; being a Selection of Poems from Scottish Authors, from the Time of King James James the First. Edited by the late Joseph Ritson, Esq. This work was printed under the inspection of the late Mr. Ritson, and, by accident of fire, some sheets being destroyed, were never again completed. A portion of the edition having been lately discovered, as much has been printed as has perfected the volume; and it is supposed there are a sufficient number to supply those gentlemen who are forming a collection of the works printed by that Editor. ART. XIX. Supplement to former Lists of Literary Deaths, with brief Biographical Notices. [CONTINUED FROM P. 223.] 1742. March 22. Rev. Wm. Fleming, author of A Poetical Epistle to the Rev. Erasmus Head. 1774. Dec. 30. Paul Whitehead, Esq. 1775 Jan. 19. Rev. Dr. Powell, Master of St. John's Coll. Camb. Aug. 12. Rev. and learned Mr. De Missy, Preacher of the French chapel, St. James's. Sept. 14. Allen Earl Bathurst, the friend of Pope. Sept. Caleb Harding, M.D. at Mansfield, Notts. 1776. Feb. 10. At Heppington, near Canterbury, Rev. Bryan Fausset, A.M. a learned Collector of Roman Antiquities. Feb. 20. Mr. Joseph Collyer, Translator of the Messiah and Noab, and the Death of Abel, from the German, and author of a Dictionary of the World, a History of England, a System of Geography, and several other valuable works. Dr. Rt. James, author of the Medical Dictionary, and inventor of the Fever Powder. Mar. 24. Mr. John Harrison, æt. 84, an eminent mechanic. April 5. Rev. James Granger of Shiplake. April 21. George Huddesford, D.D. æt. 80, at Trinity Coll. Ox. June 28. Dr. John Wall, an eminent Physician at Worcester, well known in the literary world. July 7. The celebrated critic Jeremiah Markland, aged 82. Aug. 2. Matthew Maty, M.D. Principal Librarian of the British Museum. Sept. 16. Jeremiah Dyson, Esq. M.P. for Horsham, the patron of Akenside. Sept. 22. Lewis Chambaud, author of many ingenious productions in French and English. His French Dictionary in folio does him great credit as a compiler. Nov. 16. Mr. James Ferguson, Lecturer in Astronomy, &c. Dec. 10. The Hon, and Rev. Dr. Drummond, Archbishop of York. Dec. 26. Mr. Joshua Platt, æt. 80, at Oxford, well known to naturalists for his Treatise on the Belemnite in the Philosophical Transactions. 1777 Feb. 3. Hugh Kelly. April 4. John Swinton, B.D. aged 79, Keeper of the Uni versity |