Arthur (Kynge) and his Knyghtes.

A Book of the Noble Hystories of Kynge Arthur and of certayne of his Knyghtes: reduced into Englysshe by Syr Thomas Malory, Knight. Folio. Printed by W. Caxton. 1485. Earl Spencer purchased a copy of this book at the sale of John Lloyd, Esq. of Wygfair, January, 1816, for £320.

Mr. Southey has edited a reprint from this copy, in 2 vols. 4to. with notes.

There is a copy of the original in the Library at Osterley Park, which has been amply described in Dibdin's Ames, vol. i. p. 241 to 255.

There are also two miniature reprints, one in two and the other in three volumes; the latter of these, in its prefixed advertisement, contains a notice of the six earliest editions.

The Hystorye of Kynge Blanchardyne and Princess Eglantyne. Folio. Caxton. 1485.

Of this book there is no other than an imperfect copy known, which once belonged to Mr. G. Mason, at whose sale it was bought by John Duke of Roxburghe for 217. and at the Duke's sale in 1812 purchased by Earl Spencer for 2157. 58.

For an account of this volume see Dibdin's Ames, vol. i. 346 to 349.

p.

It appears that at Mason's sale, the two noble personages, Earl Spencer and the Duke of Roxburghe, had what in booksellers' and brokers' slang would be called a regular knock out, and then resorted to the elegant amusement of toss up to decide their gains. By the single toss up for the book just named the Duke of Roxburghe's Executors became ultimately gainers of nearly 2001.

Froissart (Jehan) Les Grands Chroniques de France, d' Angleterre, d'Ecosse, d'Espaigne, de Bretaigne, &c. depuis 1326 -1400, et continuées jusqu'en 1498, par un anonyme. tom. folio. Paris. Anth. Verard.

Original edition, of which well conditioned copies are exceedingly rare.

A copy printed on vellum, with 18 miniatures in gold and colours, sold at Gaignat's for 540 francs, at the Valiere sale for 920 francs, and at Count Mc Carthy's for 4250 francs.

The Edition by Michael Le Noir, 4 vols. folio, Paris 1505 et 1513, sometimes bound in 2 vols. is said by some French Bibliographers to be scarcely less rare than that of Anthony Verard.

А сору

in Bibliotheca Lansdowniana sold for 87. 13s.

Les Mêmes. 4 tom. folio. Paris. G. Eustace. 1514. A fine copy of this edition, printed on vellum, brought 3000 francs, in the Soubise collection; and one sold at M. Paris's sale, 1791, for 1497. 28., bought by Col. Johnes.

Les Mêmes. 4 tom. en 3 vols. folio. Paris. Jehan Petit et F. Regnault. 1518.

La Valliere 52 francs; 36 francs d'Aguesseau; 170 francs Thierry.

Ditto. 4 tom. en 2 vol. folio. Paris. J. Petit. 1530. La Valliere 29 francs; Roxburghe 97. 14s.

Copies of Froissart are sometimes met with consisting of volumes belonging to different editions.

According to De Bure, all the Gothic Editions of this Historian were, for a long time, little if at all esteemed, because it

was imagined that the Edition by Denys Sauvage,* 4 tom. 2 vols. folio. Lyon. 1559, &c. was correct and entire; but as the contrary has been proved, they have since been infinitely more sought after and esteemed, and it is very difficult to find a good and well conditioned copy of the first and original edition, which is most esteemed by the curious.

Froissart's Chronicles of England, France, Spain, Portugal, &c. translated by John Bourchier, Lord Berners. Imprinted London by Richard Pynson. 2 vols. Folio. 1523-25. Notwithstanding Mr. Utterson's reprint of this translation of Froissart, 2 vols. 4to. 1812, it still bears a very high price, At Mason's sale it brought 367. 15s.

the Marquis of Blandford's 347. 2s. 6d.

Ditto. Middleton. 2 vols. Folio. 1525.

Verbatim from Pynson's edition.

Steevens 177. Bibliotheca Lansdownia, a fine copy in russia, 241. 38.; bought by Mr. Digge. Stanley, 387. 178. Lord Peterborough, 1815, 471. 158. 6d.

See Censura Literaria, vol. i. p. 116, 17, and 18, for the distinguishing marks of these editions.

Col. Johnes's Translation. 4 vols. 4to. Hafod. 1803-4. A copy, at a sale of some of Earl Spencer's duplicates, bound in russia, sold for 351. 3s. 6d.

Large paper copies of this edition are rare.

* At the sale of the Merly Library, 1813, a copy of this edition, bound in morocco, sold for 131. 13s.; at the Bibliotheca Lansdowniana, 1804, a copy, 4 vols. in 1, sold for 67. 65. Roxburghe 71. 28.

There is also an edition, 12 vols. 8vo. with a 4to. Atlas of Plates. London. 1805. Published at 77. 4s.

Jean Froissart, a native of Valenciennes, and an able Historian, whose Chronicle has been abridged by Sleidan, came over to England in the reign of Edward 3d, to offer to Philippa, his countrywoman, the first part of his History. She received him and his work graciously, and is said to have rewarded him like a Queen.

Froissart was a great traveller, and generally in the train of some elevated personage; whilst attached to Winceslaus of Luxembourg, Duke of Brabant, he was employed by him in making a Collection of his Songs, Rondeaus, and Virelays, and Froissart adding some of his own to those of the Prince, formed a sort of Romance, under the title of Meliador, or the Knight of the Sun of Gold. In 1395 he visited England a second time, after an absence of 27 years, and was well received by Richard 2d, and the Royal Family, and had the honour of presenting his Meliador to the King who was much delighted with it.

He has been accused of lavishing his panegyric on the English, at the expence of his own countrymen. Mr. Johnes has vindicated his character from this aspersion; he certainly had no great reason to falsify events in favor of his countrymen, from whom the benefits he received were as nothing. in comparison with a good pension he received from the English. The Historian mourns over the death of each valiant Knight, exults in the success of every hardy enterprize, and seems almost carried away by his chivalrous feelings, independently of party considerations.

There is a good account of Froissart in Oldys's British Li

brarian, p. 67, &c.; and Warton, in his History of English Poetry, is not a little indebted to him for numerous illustrative quotations.

Carmeliani (Petri) Carmen. 4to. Without date. London, Richard Pynson. 24 leaves only.

This little Poem contains some curious details relative to the projected marriage between Charles of Castile, Archduke of Austria (afterwards Charles the 5th) and the Princess Mary, daughter of Henry the 7th of England.

There was a copy on vellum in the Harleian Library, No. 7485, which, says Brunet, probably was the same sold in the Mc Carthy sale for 1000 francs, and which, I believe, the Rt, Hon. T. Grenville now has.

Demosthenis Orationes, &c. Gr. Folio. Venet. Aldus. 1504, ́

First Greek Edition of this Author. Aldus printed two editions of this book the same year. In the first, which is the most rare, the Dolphin and Anchor (on the Title-page) are in outline only, with the word ALDUS between two stars on one side of the Anchor, and MA. Ro. on the other. The second edition, which is most esteemed by scholars, on account of its greater correctness and better execution, has the Dolphin and Anchor shaded with AL on one side and Dus on the other.

The value of the second edition varies according to condition at from 187. 188. to 251. The first edition being the scarcer is pretty nearly of equal value when in good preservation.