oks, tracts, or broadsides, and that
of that proportion about 71/2 per cent. are misdescribed. The anecdote
of Pope and the wag who retorted to his habitual exclamation, "_God
mend me!_" "It would take less to make a new one," appears to apply in
the present case.

The original Lowndes in 1834 was a poor affair; but Bohn's recension
twenty years or so later was by comparison a still poorer one, for
there was the opportunity, in the presence of innumerable discoveries
and a large body of new bibliographical material in various shapes, of
rendering the new edition a really creditable performance. The name of
the publisher, however, was a sufficient guarantee for this not being
the case, and where the second impression is superior to the first, is
where Bohn happened to have an interest in mentioning certain works,
or information was communicated to him by others.

The sole comfort for us is, that Brunet has passed through five
editions, and yet remains deplorably imperfect and inaccurate.

There are three prominent publications, each in its way of signal
value and merit: the British Museum and Bodleian Catalogues of Printed
Books, and Mr. Quaritch's New General Catalogue. The two former, of
course confine themselves to the contents of the respective libraries;
they are consequently far from exhaustive. They have been compiled by
human beings; they are consequently far indeed from faultless. They
express, as a rule, no opinions, and of commercial estimation very
properly take no cognisance. But the Oxford collection has always been
differently situated from the National Library in not having any
adequate means of purchasing deficiencies, while it is rich in its own
very interesting way by reason of bequests of unique value, making it
the possessor of numerous priceless volumes not to be found in Great
Russell Street or anywhere else. The Quaritch Catalogue (including the
_Typographical Supplement_, 1897), a noble monument to the energy and
courage of the _grand marchand_ whose name it bears, is a good deal
more than even a bookseller's advertising medium on a large or the
largest scale. It is, in fact, a literary performance; and it is an
open secret to whom we owe it. The collector, apart from the question
of purchase, will find it replete with useful, instructive, and
trustworthy information, so far as bibliography is concerned.

The highly honourable and equally laborious publications of Sir
Egerton Brydges, Joseph