[132:A] John Ratcliffe, who died in 1776, lived in East Lane, Bermondsey, and followed the prosaic calling of a chandler. He collected Caxtons and the works of other early English printers with great diligence and judgment for nearly thirty years. Many of these appear to have been brought to him as wastepaper, to be purchased at so much per pound. An interesting account of this very remarkable man is given in Nichols' 'Literary Anecdotes,' iii., 621, 622. [133:A] The original or Caxton's price for this book was about 5s. or 6s. per copy. [136:A] The title-page of the catalogue contained the following whimsical motto from Ebulus: +Kai gar o taos dia to spanion thaumazetai.+ (The peacock is admired on account of its rarity.) Hearne speaks of Richard Rawlinson as 'vir antiquis moribus ornatus, perque eam viam euns, quae ad immortalem gloriam ducit.' [143:A] The first edition of this play, 1597, sold in 1864 for L341 5s.; it is the only copy known. [143:B] Thomas Jolley picked up a volume which contained a first edition of both 'Venus and Adonis' and the 'Sonnets,' for less than 3s. 6d. in Lancashire! The former alone realised L116 in 1844, and is now in the Grenville collection, British Museum. The copy of the former in the above list was purchased at Baron Bolland's sale in 1840 for L91; at Bright's sale for L91 10s., when it became Daniel's. The 'Sonnets,' also Daniel's copy, had belonged to Narcissus Luttrell, who gave 1s. for it. [Illustration] BOOKSTALLS AND BOOKSTALLING.