true mania for accumulation grafted on their souls. They have their humble followers in plenty now, but the school is a new one in this country notwithstanding.

At the beginning of the present century the English book-lover would have thought twice before he tortured his stomach for the mere sake of possessing a book, and moreover the feebleness of competition warranted no such sacrifice. Even the rich bought merely to please themselves, since there were no rules to guide them-no fashionable outlet, in fact, for their money as there is now. They bought anything, and left the ups and downs of the market to those who made their living by its fluctuations. Still they had their likes and dislikes in a mild sort of way, and this fact of course had some influence on the degree of estimation in which particular classes of books were held. In short, the object of the book-buying public was to accumulate a number of good works upon as many subjects as possible, so as to form an all-round library which they flattered themselves they would some day explore. Some of these subjects were more popular than others, and hence a distinction arose which kept the prices down or raised them, as the case might be.

The following tabular analysis will show the

position of the book market about the beginning of the present century:

1. Theological Works.-Latin Bibles were not much sought after, even although printed in the 15th century; English Bibles not much sought after unless of the 16th century. Macklin's edition of 1800 sold well, so did Baskerville's Bible. Greek and French Bibles were in low repute. Theological, or in fact any, works printed by Caxton and De Worde, brought high prices. Biblical commentaries, criticisms, and works of the Fathers sold for very small sums, unless quite recent editions. Polemical works travelled very slowly, original editions of the works of John Knox and one or two other famous divines alone excepted. Volumes of sermons hardly sold at all, and mystical works, like those of Jacob Behmen, went for a shilling or two each. Early Scotchprinted works of this class sold well, the works of the Freethinkers but slowly, being for the most part despised or held in abhorrence.

2. Works of Jurisprudence.-These sold very badly unless perfectly new or exceedingly old, so as to rank primarily as specimens of ancient typography. Volumes of reports and statutes, however, sold well.

3. Social and Political Works. - Generally speaking, of trivial importance. About this time

a copy of Machiavelli's "Princeps," printed sine loco in 1589, sold for 6d. ; the Amsterdam edition of More's "Utopia," 1643, for Is. 6d., and Hobbes's "Leviathan," London, 1651, for 6d. These seem to have been the prices usually obtained for works of the kind.

4. Books relating to Parliamentary Procedure and Practice sold well, Prynne's "Parliamentary Writs," 4 vols., 4to, 1659, &c., frequently bringing as much as 18. The "Journals of the House of Commons," 55 vols., folio, were worth about £14 14s., and the "Journals of the House of Lords," 33 vols., folio, about £8 8s.

5. Works on Ancient Philosophy. These sold well, and, generally speaking, for more than they would do at the present day. The same remark applies to works treating of modern philosophy, morals, &c.

6. Mathematical Works of the 17th and 18th centuries, mostly in 4to and folio, sold fairly well.

7. Works on the Arts and Sciences.-These covered an immense field. Works containing plates-such, for example, as "The Houghton Gallery "-now came into fashion. Architectural treatises, printed either abroad or in England, and mostly in folio, sound works on natural history like the Paris edition of Buffon's "Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux," 10 vols., folio, 1771, and

Lewis's "Birds of Great Britain," 7 vols., 4to, 1789, sold very well; but works on agriculture and gardening, with very few exceptions, fell flat. Medical works were hardly sought after at all unless quite new. Works on magic and witchcraft sold fairly well, but good treatises on physiognomy and kindred sciences, like Hunter's translation of Lavater's Essay, 5 vols, 4to, 1789, brought as much or more than they do now.

Poetical Works.-These were mainly classical, and sold well, as classics were then in repute. Some of the early Italian poets, such as Dante, Torquato Tasso, Alamanni, Ariosto, and Aretino, were highly esteemed. French poetry of an early date was, however, in much greater repute, the old Romants especially. Old English poetry or treatises on the poetic art, such as Webbe's "Discourse," London, 1586, and Puttenham's "Arte of English Poesie," 1589, 4to, and in fact all English-printed works of the 16th century on this subject, sold rapidly and well. The quartos of the early part of the 17th century were also much in vogue. Under this head rank Fletcher's

Purple Island," 1633, Rowland's "Diogenes' Lanthorn," Mill's "Night Search," and a vast number of compositions in pamphlet form. Poems which then were modern, like those of Gray, Chatterton, Burns, Ogilvie, Bloomfield, and Southey, were at a very low ebb.

Dramatic Works.-The works of the Elizabethan dramatists had recently begun to attract attention, and some of the early Shakespeare quartos brought £2 and £3 apiece, prices which had never been realised for works of the kind before. Bell's "British Theatre," in 34 vols., 1797, once brought more than £20 by auction, and an anonymous play entitled "Patient Grisell," 4to, 1603, no less than £9; but as a rule the plays of Beaumont and Fletcher, Mrs. Aphra Behn, Isaac Bickerstaff, Henry Carey, George Chapman, Colley Cibber, d'Avenant, Dekker, Dibdin, Dryden, Forde, Ben Jonson, Massinger, Shadwell, Shirley, Wycherley, and many other dramatists, could frequently be met with for a shilling or two each, even in the original. Isolated plays like Marlowe's "Dido," 1594, would, however, sometimes sell for as much as £15 or £20: in fact at this time Marlowe's works were much more expensive than those of Shakespeare, the first four folios only excepted. Some of the plays of Middleton and Heywood were also very scarce, £4 and £5 for a small 4to being an ordinary price to pay.

Romances. All things considered, perhaps old works of romance were at this period the most expensive that could possibly be bought. The chivalries of Amadis de Gaule, Florimont, Guy of Warwick, Huon de Bordeaux, Olivier of Castille, Palmerin of England-all written in French and