an to talk of the particular copy which had been offered
them. The Duke of Roxburghe told them that he thought he could show them
a copy of this edition, which they doubted, but, to their mortification,
the Duke produced the identical copy, over which both realized that he
who hesitates is lost. Beloe, in relating this anecdote, which was told
him by G. Nicol, the royal bookseller, predicted that if this copy came
under the hammer it would produce 'not much less than L500.' As a matter
of fact and of history, at the Roxburghe sale in 1812 it realized the
then huge sum of L2,260, the buyer being the Marquis of Blandford, who,
it is said, was prepared to go to L5,000. There were three noble
candidates for this choice book, the Duke of Devonshire, Earl Spencer,
and the Marquis of Blandford, whilst an agent of Bonaparte was known to
be present. The Rev. Mr. Dibdin has given a very highly-coloured and
vivid account of this famous incident in his 'Bibliographical
Decameron,' and we need do no more than refer to the fact that 'the
honour of making the first bid was due to a gentleman from Shropshire,
who seemed almost surprised at his own temerity in offering 100
guineas.' It is a curious commentary on even the fame of rare books that
this copy of the Valdarfer Boccaccio came again into the sale-room in
1819, when the Blandford library was sold, and when it became the
property of Earl Spencer for L918. 'I will have it when you are dead,'
was the savage retort of a defeated book-lover at an auction sale, and
such perhaps was Earl Spencer's mental determination when his rival
carried off the bargain--by waiting seven years he saved L1,242, as well
as possessing himself of one of the greatest of bibliographical
rarities.

[Illustration: _Specimen of type of the Mazarin Bible._]

Although far before the Valdarfer Boccaccio in every point except that
of sensationalism, the first printed Bible, the Biblia Latina of
Gutenberg, 1455, commonly known as the Mazarin, has had an exciting
history in the way of prices. It is not only the first, but one of the
most magnificent books which ever issued from the press. It is not at
all a rare book in the usual sense of the word, for there are in
existence nineteen copies on paper, and five on vellum, the majority of
which are in this country. The most celebrated example of this splendid
book is now in the British Museum. The earliest record of this is its
possession by M. L. J. Gaignat, at who