n the British Museum, was purchased by the
Museum authorities at Dr. Askew's sale in 1775 for 53 guineas. The
commercial value of the very scarce and splendid first edition, in six
volumes (Aldus, 1495-98), of Aristotle, shows a depreciation--from 17 to
15 guineas--although it has realized in comparatively recent years as
much as L51. Dr. Harwood adds to his entry of this book: 'The finest
copy of this first edition of Aristotle's works, perhaps in Europe, is
in Dr. Hunter's Museum.' Dr. Hunter gave L4 6s. for a 'most beautiful
copy of the first edition of Theocritus,' Aldus, 1495--an edition which
also includes Hesiod, Theognis, Phocylides, etc.,--the value of which is
now placed at L10. A much more considerable advance is seen in
connection with the _editio princeps_ of Musaeus, 1494, a choice and
beautiful book, which is at once the first and rarest production of the
Aldine Press. George III. gave in 1775 17 guineas for a fine copy, which
would now realize twice that amount. An almost equally emphatic advance
may be chronicled in connection with the 'Anthologia Graeca,' Florence,
1494, printed throughout in capital letters, which, selling for 15
guineas a century and a quarter ago, is now worth nearly double; whilst
the Sunderland copy in 1881 brought L51. The first impressions of
Diodorus Siculus, 1539, and Stephanus Byzantius, Aldus, 1502, are
stationary at about L2 each, and Lucian, Florence, 1496, now, as in
1776, sells for L20.

Passing over a whole host of minor names in the list of Greek authors,
we may venture upon a few facts in connection with the Latin writers.
Virgil would, of course, come at the head of this list; but the examples
which came under Dr. Harwood's notice have no commercial value
indicated. George III. gave L17 6s. 6d. for the very fine copy of the
first Horace (about 1472) in Dr. Askew's sale--a fairly good example is
now priced at L50--whilst the first commentated edition of this author,
Milan, 1474, has advanced from 9-1/2 guineas to 30 guineas; it is
exceedingly rare, particularly the first of the two volumes. The first
Aldine Horace (1501) has gone up from L2 5s. to L15, and other editions
from the same press have about quadrupled in value. Of the first edition
of Ovid's 'Opera' (1471) only one copy is known, and the second,
Bologna, 1480, is scarcely less rare, and certainly not less valuable,
than the first. Dr. Harwood prices a very fine copy at L10 5s., or about
a third of its prese