in his double capacity of buyer and seller, could not refuse the advance, but suggested it should be an even sum, to which Mr. Gowans replied, "You take it ;" and thus it was in due time knocked down to " J. S.," for the sum of $1130, this being so far the largest sum ever paid for a single book at any auction sale in the United States.* For the satisfaction of the curious, it may be stated that this book, previously in the Bodleian library, at Oxford, England, now forms part of the very select and elegant library belonging to Mr. John A. Rice, of Chicago, Ill., who was so well pleased with the acquisition of this precious volume, that, soon after its receipt, he made a visit to the Colorado Territory, with a view to ascertain the identity, if any, of the languages of the Indians of that far off territory, with that of the now extinct tribe who spoke the language of this Bible--or for some other purpose.

Our notice of this interesteng volume has become so long, that the other items must be dispatched in short metre.

Lot 19, a complete set of Almon's Remembrancer, 20 volumes, sold for $230.

Lot 113, a rare tract concerning Braddock's Defeat, $50.

Lot 124, Bullock's Virginia, title page inked, sold for $60.

Lot 171, a tall copy of Cicero's Cato Major, printed by B. Franklin, and the finest production of his press, brought $90.

Lot 337, a fine copy of Hamor's Virginia, after a brisk competition, was sold for $170. It now reposes among kindred rarities in the very select library belonging to Mr. William Menzies of this city.

Lot 376, a poor copy (saved from some fire) of the 4to edition of Horsmanden's Negro Plot, brought $40.

Lot 385 brought $6. In the note it is said to have been issued as a part of Hubbard's New England, which is an error; it was a separate publication printed the year previous. Probably the publisher, having a number of copies on hand, added the sermon to the narrative; they have no relation to each other.

Lots 413 and 414, Josselyn's New England's Rarities, and Voyages, sold respectively for $40 and $8, the latter being imperfect.

Lot 476, Mather's Magnalia, folio, $50.

*It is true that one of Mr. John Allan's books, of little value in itself, had been so extensively illustrated that it sold for $1400; but it was rather a collection of engravings than a book.

Lot 477, The Wonders of the Invisible World, brought $23; the note to this is a first rate American bull; how a reprint can be a first edition puzzles us.

Lot 478, another copy of the previous work, uncut, sold for $70.

Lot 480, Trial of the New England Witches, brought $65.

Lot 587, The Planter's Plea, one of the rarest books in the collection, was, after a spirited competition, knocked down to Mr. Mann for $125.

Lot 660, Simcoe's Journal, the original edition, edition, a book of exceeding rarity, was bought for Mr. J. F. McCoy, for $80.

Lot 705, Stith's Virginia, described as "rough "rough" but cut edges, sold for $23.

Lot 751, A Declaration of the Colony of Virginia, sold for $22 only, and was the cheapest of the rare books in the sale.

Lot 761, Ward's Simple Cobbler, brought only $25.

Lot 823, Wood's New England's Prospect, said on the catalogue to be extremely scarce, which is scarcely true, sold for $41; and to conclude, Lot 832, Zenger's Trial, sold for $3.25.

After the sale of the Bruce Collection the

following article appeared in the Tribune of May 2d, 1868:

66

The sale of a private collection of rare works relating to America, which has just closed at the book trade salesroom of Messrs. Leav

itt, Strebeigh & Co., was of a character so unusual as to deserve more than a passing notice. The price obtained for Eliot's Indian Bible was startling to people unused to hearing of a single volume selling for so much money; but the sales of certain State histories had even more significance. Three early accounts of Virginia, were sold; of these, Burk's Virginia, in 4 volumes, brought $40; Bullock's, 66 pages of text, 1649, $60; and Raphe Hamor's, 59 pages, 1615, $170. The copy of Horsmanden's Negro Plot, which sold for $40, was water stained throughout, and appeared to be in very nearly the condition when an ordinary book would be thrown aside as worthless. These facts point to a wonderful dissemination of the disease called bibliomania, among us, almost imperceptibly, it seems; but this sale will serve to call public attention to the subject. While we have not in this city a single public library which completely meets the public wants, many private collections contain nearly all

that is rare, curious and valuable in history and literature-more particularly American history and literature, and to hear the owners talk of their possessions, and see them handle their gems with such evident veneration, is to catch something of the fever that burns in their veins. The mania for scarce American books is of recent growth, and it is not ten years since it took its first development in the rage for large paper reprints of the rarities which were then eagerly subscribed for at $10, and even $20 a volume, and now sell almost for a song. Large paper copies have already gone out of fashion, and uncut books come in; binding is a positive disadvantage now, and many intelligent people who have had their books bound for use, and a few who paid for elegant bindings for show, will be a little surprised to learn that these must be banished out of sight, and that the dirtier and mustier a book is the more worthy it is of attention. This is the moral of the great sale; but it is a dangerous subject to handle, since the gems are concealed under titles where they would be least suspected, and we feel impelled to dismiss. it without another word.

To the above article the editor of this journal sent the following reply, which was delayed in the delivery, and for that reason was not printed in the Tribune:

BIBLIOMANIA IN AMERICA.

SIR: In your article of the 2d inst., on the sale of American books, you have scarcely done justice to those gentlemen who are fairly infected with that pleasantest of diseases known as bibliomania-a disorder dangerous only to the purses of its victims but affording in return sensations of delight known only to its subjects. You have also made some erroneous statements which I venture to correct. While it is undoubtedly true that "the mania for scarce American books is of recent growth," it is but four or five years since the "rage for large paper reprints of the rarities" commenced to develop itself, it reached its culminating point at what is known as the "Fowle " sale, and soon after realizing the poet's idea of a "meadow of margin, and a rivulet of text," began to decay. In the course of its existence it developed some extraordinary monstrosities, the most notable being Dring's Narrative, Campbell's folio series, Andreana, Furman's Brooklyn, and last and largest, Wood's Long Island; in these books the text proper does not

occupy over one-third part of the page, and the books are in fact so much literary lumber.

It is to the credit of Boston, that its tasteful amateurs discouraged this immensity of page, and have printed nothing larger than the publications of the Prince Society in demy quarto. Philadelphia has distinguished itself in the Minutes of a Conspiracy, and five other conspiracies against the ordinary size of a gentleman's bookshelves, but to Long Island belongs the conspicuous honor of having given birth to those books which will ever remain as monuments of the bad taste of their proprietors. I do not say publishers, for it is due to the book publishers proper, to say, that these productions are the result of private enterprise, and that they have resulted in pecuniary loss is to be inferred from their discontinuance-ne sutor ultra crepidam.

These "large paper copies have already gone out of fashion" and very deservedly so, but "large paper copies" of standard books are still in demand, and will never be out of fashion so long as wealth and taste combine for the production of fine books with handsome but not excessive margins. Let a copy of Mather's Magnalia, on large paper, be offered, and instead of selling for $42.50, as the one on small paper at the late sale did, it will bring from $150 to $200 in proportion to its condition.

In the matter of book binding you have not conveyed a correct idea. Your true bibliomaniac prefers a book in boards, or uncut, because when he gets it in that condition he is able to consult and gratify his own taste in its binding, but if he can purchase it already bound, say in crushed levant morocco, with the top edges gilt, the remainder uncut, he seeks no further

that sort of book binding is the summum bonum of the most enthusiastic book collector. It is a mistake to say that "the dustier and mustier a book is, the more worthy it is of attention," for as your true bibliomaniac is a collector of rare books only, he is often compelled to accept them in a musty and dirty condition; but his preference is for clean and uncut copies. J. SABIN.

LIMITED EDITIONS.-The publication by Mr. J. W. Bouton, of the superb volume of Albert Durer, (being a reproduction of his series of wood-cuts, known as "The Little Passion,") has given rise to some curious articles in the daily newspapers, on the subject of Limited Editions. Writers, who have not sufficiently considered the subject,

condemn the practice as illiberal, and implying aristocratic exclusiveness; and one journal goes so far as to recommend all purchasers to abstain from buying a book of a limited edition. This is a mistake, indicating a failure to appreciate the business of book publishing. Perhaps the subject is not well enough understood by the public at large.

Every edition of every book published may be said to be limited, for the publisher produces only so many copies as he supposes the public will demand. Before the days of Before the days of stereotyping, the first edition was issued and the type were then distributed, so that the book could not be again produced, except in a new edition, at the expense of re-setting the type. Since the days of stereotyping, publishers are in the habit of issuing editions according to their estimate of the demand. But there are scores of books which would never be published at all, if it were not for the willingness of purchasers to buy limited editions, because of their limit. The desire to possess rarities may savor of selfishness, but it has its uses in the encouragement of all the arts. Twenty persons might be found, either of whom would pay twenty thousand dollars for a sculpture by an eminent artist; but if there were twenty of the sculptures, each like the other, these persons would not pay a thousand dollars each for them. Thus it is apparent that the artist would receive more for one or two works than for an unlimited edition. This principle runs through all the departments of artistic publication or production.

Mr. A. has, in his library, a book, which is the only existing copy of an old publication. It contains valuable historical matter. This single copy is perishable. Fire or water may ruin it. How shall it be duplicated? If he issued an unlimited edition of it—say, for example, a thousand copies-and keep the plates ready for more, this edition would cost a thousand dollars, and he must put the price of the book at a reasonable amount to the reading public. What would be the result? He would sell about a hundred copies, say at $2.00 each, to that number of gentlemen collecting books of this class, and the rest of the edition would remain unsold. His loss may be estimated. Of course, no prudent publisher will do this, and, if the principle of unlimited editions were insisted on, all these valuable books would remain without duplication. The publisher of books must have some prudence. He must estimate how

many copies of a book will sell, and at what price, and the edition must be limited to the saleable number, and the cost recovered back by the sale of that number.

In the case we have instanced, the one hundred purchasers are of a class of men who would as willingly pay ten dollars for the book as one, if the editions were limited to a hundred copies. We can, therefore, republish the book in a limited and costly edition, thus accomplishing, not only the desirable work of preserving history from danger of loss, but also gratifying collectors of handsome work, encouraging our best typographers, advancing the style of our typographical art, and doing business for the publisher. In plain words, the love of limited editions has done more than all other influences combined to improve the art of typography, not only in limited editions, but in all classes of work. This is plain to all who have any knowledge of the subject.

In reference to the Little Passion of Albert Durer, reproduced by photo-lithography, which seems to have been the occasion of several articles on limited editions, we may say a few words. If it were reasonable to suppose that one or ten thousand persons would purchase the book, Mr. Bouton would certainly have been very glad to supply the demand, and we are confident that Mr. Prime, who has made the book, would have been delighted to find that there was an appreciation of the rare old works of the great Albert. But the question was simply, whether to run the risk of a large edition, on cheap paper, with ordinary typography, sold at a dollar or two per copy, or to publish a limited edition in all the luxury that the American typographic art can bring to the adornment of a book, and trust to the repayment of the expense from the love of art, with the impelling idea, to aid, that the book will certainly be a somewhat scarce one, and not a volume which men may wait to buy in any future year. Five hundred copies is not a very narrow limit. In fact, it could hardly be called a limited edition, were it not certain that this book would have a somewhat wider range of purchasers than a historical curiosity. Being the first issue of a new art, its reception was by no means assured; and we venture to say that, except from the encouragement guaranteed by the general success of limited editions, this work would never have been undertaken at all, neither would the public have possessed Mr. Humphrey's splendid book on the history

of printing, or numerous other valuable and costly books. In short, but for the willingness of some gentlemen to pay high prices for limited editions, the world would have been

much poorer in valuable books than at present. It may be selfish to desire to possess a rare work of art, but that desire has its uses, and has done vast good in the progress of art.

send & Adams.

Barnes, W. Rural Poems. Iil., sq. 16mo, cloth, $2.50; mor., $5. Roberts Brothers.

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Bellows, A. J. How not to be Sick; a Sequel to "Philosophy of Eating." Crown 8vo, cloth, $2. Hurd & Houghton.

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