50 to L300, but the majority are absolutely unprocurable at any
price. The highest sum ever paid for a Caxton is L1,950, at which amount
the only perfect copy known of 'King Arthur,' 1485, was knocked down at
the sale of the Earl of Jersey's books in 1885. At the same sale the
'Histoires of Troy,' _circa_ 1474, realized L1,820. In 1812 the Duke of
Devonshire gave L1,060 12s. for a copy of this book, for which the Duke
of Roxburghe had paid L50 a few years previously. The Syston Park copy
of the 'Mirrour of the World,' 1481, sold in 1884 for L335; Higden's
'Polychronicon, 1482, is valued at L500; Lord Selsey's copy of Gower's
'Confessio Amantis,' 1483, sold in 1872 for L670; and Lord Jersey's, in
1885, for L810. The 'Hystorye of Kynge Blanchardyn and Princes
Eglantyne,' 1485, imperfect, but one of the rarest of this press,
realized L21 at the Mason sale, 1798-99, the purchaser being John, Duke
of Roxburghe, at whose sale in June, 1812, Lord Spencer gave L215 5s.
for it. According to the latter's note in the copy, 'The Duke and I had
agreed not to oppose one another at the [Mason] sale; but after the book
was bought, to toss up who should win it; when I lost.' A tract of five
leaves, by John Russell, 'Propositio ad illustriss. principem Karoleum
ducem Burgundie,' etc. (printed probably at Bruges, 1475), of which no
other copy is known, was purchased by a bookseller in the West End of
London for L2 5s. He sold it to the Duke of Marlborough for 50 guineas,
and at his sale in 1819 Earl Spencer purchased it for 120 guineas. There
are about 560 examples of Caxton's books in existence. Of these, about
one half are in the British Museum, the Althorp or Rylands library (57),
at Cambridge, in the Bodleian, and in the Duke of Devonshire's library.
Of this total thirty-one are unique, and seven exist only in a
fragmentary form. The greater number are safely locked up in public or
private libraries, and are not likely, under ordinary circumstances, to
come into the market. A great quantity of romance has been written
respecting Caxtons. In Scott's 'Antiquary,' 'Snuffy Davy' is stated to
have bought a perfect copy of the 'Game of Chess,' the first book
printed in England, for about two groschen, or twopence of our money.
This he sold to Osborne for L20; it became Dr. Askew's property for 60
guineas, and at the Askew sale it realized L170, the purchaser being
George III. '"Could a copy now occur, Lord only knows," ejaculated
Monkbarns, w