aced
in the hands of Evans, who sold them in two parts, September, 1841, and
February, 1842, and realized over L4,100. The second part was very rich
in Shakespeariana, and included the 'Sonnets,' 1609, L105; 'Midsummer
Night's Dream,' 1600 (second edition), L105; and many other important
items. In the first part of the sale, Marlowe's 'Tragedie of Richard,
Duke of York,' 1595 (believed to be unique), sold for L131; and the only
perfect copy then known of Patrick Hannay's 'Nightingale,' 1622, from
the libraries of Bindley, Perry, Sykes and Rice, L13 5s. The third part
of Chalmers' library, which consisted for the most part of works
relative to Scotland, particularly in illustration of the History of
Printing in that Country, was also sold by Evans in 1842. Among other
book-collectors of this period we may mention particularly the Rev.
Henry Joseph Thomas Drury, whose library was rich in classics, all for
the most part finely bound; it came under the hammer at Evans's in 1827
(4,729 lots); Dr. Isaac Gosset, who died in 1812, in his sixty-eighth
year, and whose library, comprising 5,740 lots, realized L3,141 7s. 6d.
at Leigh and Sotheby's in 1813; the Rev. Jonathan Boucher (1738-1804),
Vicar of Epsom, who, like George Chalmers, for many years resided in
America, was, also like him, an inveterate book-collector to whom
everything in the shape of a book was welcome: his sale occupied Leigh
and Sotheby thirty-nine days, in 1806, the total being over L4,510.

III.

The history of the second and third quarters of the present century
makes mention of very few collectors of the first rank. Among the more
important of those whose libraries came under the hammer within that
period, we may specially refer to the following: William Upcott, who
started early in life as an assistant to R. H. Evans, but who in 1806
became sub-librarian of the London Institution. He was one of the first
to take up autograph-collecting, of which, indeed, he has been termed
the pioneer. He certainly collected with great advantage and knowledge,
and his vast accumulations were sold at Sotheby's in four batches
during 1846, he having died in September, 1845; John Hugh Smyth Piggott,
whose library, in three portions, was sold at the same place, 1847-54;
W. Y. Ottley, the prolific writer of books on art, 1849; W. Holgate, of
the Post Office, whose library included a number of Shakespeariana,
June, 1846; Hanrott, 1857; Sir Thomas Bernard, 1855; Isaac D'Israe