A catalogue of the library of the late John Duke of Roxburghe / arranged by G. and W. Nicol ... which will be sold by auction on Monday, 18th May, 1812, etc. by Robert H. Evans.

  • John Ker, 3rd Duke of Roxburghe
Date:
1812
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A catalogue of the library of the late John Duke of Roxburghe / arranged by G. and W. Nicol ... which will be sold by auction on Monday, 18th May, 1812, etc. by Robert H. Evans. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    [6] works, in the original languages. It must how¬ ever be considered, that the buyers Boccaccio, Bandello, and Giraldi Cinthio, in the original, form a yery different class of purchasers from those of Painter s Palace of Pleasure, (^c. All bibliographical criticism is therefore earnestly deprecated. To account for the motley appearance of the Catalogue, it is perhaps necessary to say—That some of the scarcest books, that ever were * exhibited for publick sale, will be found placed next to books of the most common occurrence, and certainly of small pecuniary value. For in¬ stance, among the Rituals ;—the Festymle of Caxton, printed in two columns, of which no other copy is at present known, may be found classed with a small edition of the Common Prayer, of one shilling value.—Or the first edi¬ tions of Suidas, Phamrinus, or the Etymologicon Magnum, of all which magnificent copies exist in this Library, may be found in company with a school edition of Schre^elius, thumbed to tat- ters at Eton. It should be therefore known, that this mixture of the valuable books, with those of small value, in a pecuniary point of view, and the numerous editions of the same author, ought not to be put to the account of the late noble Posses¬ sor; for, many years ago, his Grace, assisted by the person he usually consulted on such occasions, made a separation of this part of the Library ; and sent all such, as were of little value, to some upper rooms.—In the present state of the pro¬ perty, however, no discretion is left: the whole