eak well of him, nor do you (as I verily believe) common
justice.' In a letter from Benjamin Heath, the well-known
book-collector, to 'Mr. John Mann, at the Hand in Hand Fire Office in
Angel Court, on Snow Hill,' dated March 21, 1738, we get yet another
glimpse of some phases of book-auctions in the earlier part of the last
century. Fletcher Gyles, a bookseller of Holborn, published a catalogue
of a book-auction which he purposed holding at his own place of
business. 'Mr. Gyles,' writes Heath, 'has offered himself to act for me,
but as I think 'tis too great a Trial to his Honesty to make him at the
same time Buyer and Seller . . . I have been able to think of no Friend
I could throw this trouble [of buying certain books] upon but you.' For
this service, the collector 'would willingly allow 3 guineas, which, the
Auction continuing 24 Days, is 3 shillings over and above half a Crown a
Day.' The 'Auction requires the Attendance of the whole day, beginning
at Eleven in the Morning, and Ending at two, and at five in the
Afternoon, and Ending at Eight.'

[Illustration: _Benjamin Heath, Book-collector, 1738._]

A chronological account of the book-sales of London would be an
important as well as an interesting contribution to the history of
literature. But our space is limited, and only the chief features of
such a history can be dealt with in this place. If one were asked to
name the most famous book in the annals of book-sales, the answer would
be at once forthcoming and emphatic--the Valdarfer Boccaccio, otherwise
'Il Decamerone di Messer Giovanni Boccaccio,' printed at Venice by
Christopher Valdarfer in 1471, and published, it is thought, at about
10s. In stating that this book is the most famous one, it is almost
unnecessary to explain that the Roxburghe copy is understood. By what
means it got into the hands of a London bookseller (about the middle of
the last century) is not known. It is certain, however, that even at
that period he knew of its excessive rarity, for he offered it to the
two great contemporary book-collectors, Lord Oxford and Lord Sunderland,
for 100 guineas, an amount which at that time must have 'appeared
enormously extravagant.' Whilst these two collectors were deliberating,
an ancestor of the Duke of Roxburghe saw and purchased it. Shortly after
this event the two noble collectors were dining with the Duke, and the
subject of Boccaccio was purposely broached. Both Lord Oxford and Lord
Sunderland beg