Vol. 1.

No. 1.

Recent Auction Sales of Books.

The past season was prolific in sales at auction of minor collections of poor books, the only exceptions being the libraries of the late Mr. A. A. Smets of Savannah, Capt. Townsend of Albany, and [Mr. Bruce's] collection of books relating to America. The catalogue of Mr. Smets' "private" library contains 300 pages of well leaded letter press, ornamented with head and tail pieces, and is introduced "to the public" in some highly laudatory remarks by various hands. The first is signed by Mr. Tasker Smith, H. B. M. Consul at Savannah, who says: "Having been for many years a Bibliomaniac, and also a trustee to [sic] a public collection abroad, I venture..... a brief notice it may be of service; and if not, it may go to the waste basket." Mr. Paine, to whom the note is addressed, would have done Mr. Smith "a service" in selecting the waste basket," but he did not, and in order to rescue this and the other precious docu

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ments from the oblivion of a defunct catalogue, we reproduce them here; italicising and emphasizing the strong (?) points.

THE LIBRARY OF MR. SMETS.

There is no doubt in the world [!!] that the library collected by Mr. Smets is one which is of extreme value.

Many of the early works and incunabula are immensely appreciated by Bibliomaniacs, Librarians, and others, who possess taste and feeling for the productions of the old masters of the printing craft; while, apart from the typographical beauties and quaintnesses in such volumes, their value in the matter of editions and readings [!] is very great. In addition to volumes of great interest, and ranging from the close of the 15th century up to the present date, the library contains a most valuable collection of autographs, deeds, MSS., books of hours and missals, varied and gorgeous in illumination, and highly valuable to all who study the manners and customs, costumes and architecture of past centuries.

In a hasty memorandum,* like the present, it is impossible to do more than give a bird's eye view of the Smets collection, and to add, that besides the memorabilia included within the printed catalogue of a portion of the rarer examples, may be cited from memory, Denon's great Folio upon Egypt, the Sacres of Louis XV. and XVI., at Rheims, Dr. Dibdin's des Althorpiana, and other works from that author, so

This is a plagiarism-General Scott's "hasty plate of soup" has priority of time.

This book is so common, that there is scarcely a library in New York without it.

The article from De Bow's Review is simply a statement made by Mr. Smets, followed by a quotation from the Southern Literary Messenger, written in that gushing style so dear to the young ladies, and so disgusting to your real" Bibliomaniac."

It describes a visit, "made by the classical editor, within the sacred precincts of the library of Mr. Smets."

"The first emotion, on entering and casting the eye around the magnificent display of the ample upon shelves, is that of surprise, that the visitor has not before heard of so extensive and luxurious a collec

tion. But here, the visitor will be apt to say, is surely the most sumptuous, if not the largest and most recherche library in the country. When we say, further, that all the volumes are bound in a manner the most elegant known to the trade, and are arranged in rich cases of mahogany, some idea may be formed of the appearance of the library.”

The editor of the Savannah Republican is scarcely less enthusiastic. He characterizes it as "one of the finest libraries ever collected by or retained in the possession of a Southern gentleman.'

"No bibliopole, nor even a simple lover of books, can visit this choice library without admiration.

"The library contains the riches of learning, from the elaborate missal of the twelfth century to the recent files of modern magazines. The enthusiast in large paper copies, where a rivulet of text meanders through a meadow of margin,' can revel in his own peculiar delight, and the bibliopole, who rejoices in only copies,' 'suppressed editions' and works valuable only from some imperfection which gives them rarity, can here find ample room for the indulgence of his taste.

"Neither time nor space permits us to go into an elaborate enumeration of the treasures which grace the shelves of this magnificent library."

This, with the exception of Mr. Smith's note, which is as inclegant as it is ungrammatical, reads very well, and one believing it might almost go into ecstacies concerning such a remarkable collection.

We will not charge these writers with an intention to deceive: they reside in the rural districts, and assuredly do not know in what a fine library consists. This "magnificent This "magnificent

Dr. Dibdin is

This is doubtless a double entendre. dear to book-worms-his books are prodigiously expensive, and it may be added comparatively worthless.

Mr. Shaw's name is Henry. He is an F. S. A., which is doubtless the idea intended, but not expressed.

The talk about "magnificent display," most sumptuous" and "recherche librarybound in a manner the most elegant" is simply hyperbole.

The books as exhibited in the auction room, had what is called a hard look, the bindings generally being very indifferent.

The Catalogue was made out by an amateur, whose verdancy is only equalled by his ignorance, assumption and redundancy. The words "splendid" and "fine" are thrown in with remarkable liberality and with an entire freedom from their legitimate meaning.

The books, said to be printed on large paper, which are so poetically referred to by the Savannah Republican, generally speaking, were not on large paper, and with reference to lot 2049 it may be observed, that such a book does not exist on large paper.

The excessive description of the poor books has succeeded in safely investing their proceeds in a printer's bill; e. g., Lot 1723 sold for $16.87, and cost $18 for cataloguing. Lot 2264 sold for $1. and cost $3. for catalogue, while some me hundreds of items brought less than the cost of selling them.

Some of the books are described in a singular manner. We select a few at random. Lot 1481 is "Full of Persian words, with pieces in the Common Dialect, etc." How it can be full of one thing, and have pieces of another is certainly curious.

Lot 1556 is "undressed calf," whatever that may be; perhaps it is auto-biographical.

Lot 1796 is "sheep, imitation of russia, half gilt," but which half is not stated; indeed half gilt is a favorite phrase.

Lot 1875 is said to have paper titles; this should be true of all the rest of the books, those on vellum excepted.

Lot 218 has "extra gilt leaves," whatever they may be. Concerning lot 2379, Watt's Bibliotheca Britannica, the catalogue states that it is the most complete work of the kind, except Allibone's; which is high praise for Mr. Allibone, whose work seems to have stopped at vol. 1.

The books which are bound in " Full Turkey" are treated to a capital T, which is disrespectful to " russia," which is reduced to lower case, where both properly belong.

The arrangement is an alphabetical one, but in placing the anonymous authors, the compiler has been greatly puzzled, and the searcher for a book of this class will be much more so, for these titles are terribly involved. One specimen will suffice. The Literary World is not to be found in the L's, but in W, thus, lot 2448 World, Literary; and there are scores of such instances.

Lot 990 is a specimen of redundant description of a common book.

While the catalogue is ridiculously redundant in some respects, it is just as deficient in some other points of the greatest importance to the buyers who were not able to examine the books. Three-fourths of the books were very badly stained. The catalogue only designates a few as in that condition.

We close this notice with the remark that many very rare and valuable books are included in the catalogue, and in a subsequent number we shall report concerning some of

them.

It is proper to add that the auctioneers are not responsible for the errors in the catalogue. It was a domestic article written at Savannah. Perhaps the design was to save expense; if so, it failed to accomplish that object.

THE BRUCE COLLECTION OF AMERICANA.

The elegantly printed catalogue of an extraordinary Collection of Works relating to America, sold at Leavitt, Strebeigh & Co.'s auction rooms, on Monday, April 27th, 1868, and following days, is an interesting volume of 140 pages, containing copious bibliographical notes selected from Rich's Bibliotheca Americana, and other sources.

The notice to the public, which precedes the catalogue, is slightly stilted, a little involved, and not quite grammatical.

Unusual and almost intense interest was felt by many collectors concerning this library, because so many of the books were described as having rough or uncut edges, inasmuch as such copies had never yet blessed the vision of the most successful collector: (indeed it is safe to affirm that if such copies do exist, they are presque unique); but, alas! the high expectations thus raised were not realized, and it was a sad disappointment that

Smith's New York, 4to, half mor., gilt top, uncut edges, and Smith's New Jersey, 8vo., maroon mor.extra, rough edges-cum multis aliis-all turned out to be as ordinary as the names of the people they almost fail to designate, and were, in fact, cut copies rebound, with the edges not re-cut, but in the condition in which the previous binder had left them; the effect of the re-arrangement and re-folding of the leaves being to give them an uncut appearance. This mis-description was rather a blunder than an intended misrepresentation; the compiler of the catalogue, in his desire to do full justice to the books, allowed his zeal to overcome his judgment.

The attendance at the sale, if not large, was certainly respectable, and included almost all the well-known collectors, or their representatives, and, considering that one only of the many competitors could secure the rare but coveted volumes, passed off very good-humoredly.

The most interesting, perhaps, because the least understood book in the sale, was lot 267, Eliot's Indian Bible, which was sold on the second day. It is described at great length, the notes for the most part being reprinted from the catalogue of John Allan's library.

In introducing the book to the audience, the auctioneer remarked that it formed the crowning glory of the sale-the result attested the truth of this statement. The book was started by Mr. Bouton at $500, and the competition ran on between three or four bidders up to $800, when two only continued the conflict-Mr. William Gowans and the writer of this notice. The bids proceeded rapidly, advancing $25 each time, until $1000 was offered, when it became evident, to use a sporting phrase, that the wind of the veteran bookseller of Nassau Street was beginning to give out.

His advances were made with deliberation and judgment, while those of his competitor were rapid and determined; great was the excitement in the auction room, when, after advances of $10 at each bid, $1100 was offered by Mr. Gowans; this being a sum beyond anybody's expectation; at this stage his younger competitor showed signs of weakness by bidding $5 only over this sum; this advance was imitated by Mr. Gowans until the auctioneer's bid of $1,125 was, after much deliberation, followed by Mr. Gowans with the offer of $1,127.50. So feeble an effort was a sure sign of an early collapse; and his competitor, who acted as auctioneer,