a general rule, to be an
infallible guide.

We have but little information concerning the prices paid for
second-hand books during the seventeenth century. The retailer's safest
possible guide, of course, would be the price at which he acquired a
particular book, or, if more than one, by the very simple process of
averaging. One of the earliest and fullest illustrations we can cite
occurs in connection with some of the prices paid for books for the
Chetham Library of Manchester in 1663, and these are curious as well as
interesting. Thus, Holland's 'Heroeologia,' 1620, a good copy of which
now realizes from L20 to L30, was purchased for 14s. Purchas's 'His
Pilgrimes,' 1625-26, which now sells at auction, if in good condition,
at about L50, was obtained for L3 15s. Dugdale's 'History of St. Paul's'
cost 12s., and the same author's 'Antiquities of Worcestershire,' 1656,
L1 7s. 6d.; the former now sells at prices varying from L5 to L10, and
the latter, when in good condition, is not expensive at 18 guineas. In
and about 1740 several book-sales occurred at or near Manchester, when a
large number of rare items realized painfully small prices. For
instance, the 'Treatise concernynge the fruytfull saynges of Davyd the
Kynge and Prophete in the seven Penytencyall Psalms,' 1508, by Fisher,
Bishop of Rochester; the 'Nova Legenda Sanctorum Angliae,' 1516, both
printed by Wynkyn de Worde, were purchased together for 5s. 6d.!
Parsons' 'Conference about the next succession to the Crowne of
England,' 1594, cost 1s.; and the same Jesuit's 'Treatise of Three
Conversions of England,' 1603-4, 15s. A few months ago these two
publications realized close on L10 at auction. Tyndale's 'Practyse of
Prelates,' 1530, was obtained for 1s. 6d.; and his 'Briefe Declaration
of the Sacraments,' 1550, for 1s. 7d.; the former is now valued at 9
guineas, and the latter at 4 guineas. The English edition of Erasmus'
'Enchiridion Militis Christiani,' 1544, cost 6d., and is now worth
perhaps as many pounds. The bargain of the period, however, occurred in
connection with Sir Thomas Smyth's treatise 'De Republica et
administratione Anglorum,' 1610; Raleigh's 'Prerogative of Parliaments'
(?) 1628; and Burton's 'Protestation Protested,' which, together,
realized 4d.! Each of these books is now extremely rare.

Thirteen years after the above-mentioned books changed hands at prices
which can now only be described as heartbreaking, the first auction-sale
took pla