No. 684. Boccacio, la Teseide _Ferar._ 1475. PRIMA EDIZIONE 85 0 0 No. 1433. Catullus Tibullus, et Propertius, Aldi. 8vo. 1502. IN MEMBRANA 17 10 0 This copy was purchased by the late Mr. M.C. Cracherode, and is now, with his library, in the British Museum. It is a beautiful book, but cannot be compared with Lord Spencer's Aldine VELLUM Virgil, of the same size. No. 1576. Durandi Rationale, &c. 1459. IN MEMBRANA 61 0 0 The beginning of the 1st chapter was wanting. Lord Spencer has a perfect copy of this rare book on spotless VELLUM! No. 2656. Platonis Opera, apud Aldum. 2 vol. fol. 1513. _Edit. Prin._ ON VELLUM 55 13 0 Purchased by the late Dr. W. Hunter; and is at this moment, in his Museum at _Glasgow_. The reader who has not seen them can have no idea of the beauty of these vellum leaves. The ink is of the finest lustre, and the whole typographical arrangement may be considered a master-piece of printing. Lord Oxford told Dr. Mead that he gave 100 guineas for this very copy.] After this melancholy event, one would have thought that future _Virtuosi_ would have barricadoed their doors, and fumigated their chambers, to keep out such a pest;--but how few are they who profit by experience, even when dearly obtained! The subsequent history of the disease is a striking proof of the truth of this remark; for the madness of book-collecting rather increased--and the work of death still went on. In the year 1776 died John Ratcliffe[47] another, and a very singular, instance of the fatality of the BIBLIOMANIA. If he had contented himself with his former occupation, and frequented the butter and cheese, instead of the book, market--if he could have _fancied himself_ in a brown peruke, and Russian apron, instead of an embroidered waistcoat, velvet breeches, and flowing perriwig, he might, perhaps, have enjoyed greater longevity; but, infatuated by the Caxtons and Wynkyn De Wordes of Fletewode and of West, he fell into the snare; and the more he struggled to disentangle himself, the more certainly did he become a prey to the disease.