Prices of Books: An Inquiry into the Changes in the Price of Books which have occurred in England at different PeriodsWheatley, Henry B. (Henry Benjamin)
History
Prices of Books: An Inquiry into the Changes in the Price of Books which have occurred in England at different Periods
Wheatley, Henry B. (Henry Benjamin)
Books -- Prices -- History
Sir W. Tite’s copy, with a 2, 3, 4, 8 in facsimile, realised in
1874 £150. Ashburnham copy (1897), wanting forty-six leaves,
£201.
Other copies sold since the publication of Blades’s book were
mere fragments, and only realised small sums.
_The Pilgrimage of the Soul_ (45).
R. Smith (1682), 5s. J. West (1773), £8, 17s. 6d. J. Ratcliffe
(1776), £3, 17s. At the Marquis of Blandford’s sale (1819) Earl
Spencer bought it for £152, 5s. He perfected it with three
leaves from a copy formerly belonging to Heber, and sold it in
1821, when Heber bought it again for £26, 15s. 6d., but at his
sale in 1834 it only realised 18 guineas.
_The Festial_, first edition (47).
J. Ratcliffe had two copies: J. Edwards bought one for £3, 2s.,
and Dr. Farmer the other for £3. In 1796 the latter bought
Herbert’s copy for £2, 2s., and made a perfect copy from the
two. Lord Spencer bought this at Farmer’s sale in 1798 for £5.
---- Second edition (88).
The Duke of Roxburghe’s copy was bought by Earl Spencer for
£105. Only one has occurred for sale since, viz., Rev. E. James
(1854), £27, now in the British Museum.
_Confessio Amantis_ (50).
F. Child bought B. Fairfax’s beautiful and perfect copy for £3
in 1756, and at the Earl of Jersey’s sale in 1885 it realised
£810. It is now in the United States. George III. bought West’s
imperfect and cropped copy for 9 guineas. Topham Beauclerk’s
copy, wanting ten leaves, sold in 1781 for £2, 4s.; in 1881 it
was sold at Mr. G. L. Way’s sale for £77. The Duke of
Roxburghe’s perfect copy was bought by the Duke of Devonshire
for £336.
Willett’s copy has been sold several times, and each time for a
lower price than before. In 1813 the Marquis of Blandford bought
it at Willett’s sale in 1813 for £315. At the White Knights sale
(1819) it was described as “remarkably fine and perfect,” and
was sold to G. Watson Taylor for £205, 16s. On being collated it
was found to want six leaves, and was consequently returned, and
resold to Mr. Watson Taylor for £131, 5s. At his sale in 1823 it
only realised £57, 15s.
W. Haggard (1867), £185 (wanting several leaves). Lord Selsey’s
perfect copy sold in 1872 for £670. H. Perkins (1873), £245 (six
leaves in facsimile). Ashburnham (part 2, 1897), imperfect,
£188.
_The Knight of the Tower_ (51).
R. Smith (1682), 5s. 1d. J. Brand’s perfect copy was bought by
Earl Spencer in 1807 for £111, 6s.
G. Watson Taylor bought the Marquis of Blandford’s perfect copy
(without blanks) in 1819 for £85, 1s. At his sale in 1823 Jolley
bought it for £52, 10s. Rodd bought it for Corser, at Jolley’s
sale in 1843, for £90. At Corser’s sale (1868) Mr. Quaritch
bought it for £560.
_Caton_ (52).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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