Bibliographica. Part V. (Kegan Paul, Trench, and Co.)—The six articles
which make up the contents of this number will be found highly interesting by the readers to whom they specially appeal. Mr. Maunde Thompson writes about " English Illumin- ated Manuscripts." His paper is abundantly illustrated. The reproductions are excellent, though considerations of expense have, we suppose, forbidden the use of colours except in the frontispiece. In " English Provincial Presses," by Mr. W. H. Allnutt, Oxford is quickly passed over as having a specialist of its own in Mr. Falconer Madan; we have then St. Albans with eight works (1480-86), and a mention of York, but only to dispose of its claim as far as the fifteenth century is concerned. In the next century we find printing-presses at Oxford, Cambridge, Tavistock (in the monastery), Abingdon, St. Albans, Ipswich, Worcester, and Canterbury. Passing over " The Illustrated Books of Sebastian Brandt," by Gilbert R. Redgrave ; " The Long Shop in the Poultry," by Henry R. Plomer ; and "Florentine Book Illustrations of the Fifteenth and Early Sixteenth Cen- turies," by Paul Koristeller, we come to " English Book-Sales, 1681-86," by Alfred W. Pollard, with many curious items of information. In Richard Smith's sale (1682), we find eleven Cartons sold for .£3 4s. 2d. Shortly after, Carton's " Eneads," sold for ls. 6d. ; "Anatomy of Melancholy " (first edition), 35.; " Poems writ by Will. Shakespear, Gent.," 6d., are notable. Mr. Pollard concludes with the remark that, though" by the judicious expenditure of £25 " at this time books now worth £10,000 might have been acquired, yet as £25, at compound interest, would have by this time amounted to nearly a million, " it is well for bookmen not to make too much of such mercenary con- siderations."
Previous page
