The very high price paid for the 'Boke of St. Albans' is noteworthy, for
nearly all the other items are equally rare. In 1844, a copy of this
'boke' was sold as waste-paper for 9d., and almost immediately passed
into the possession of Mr. Grenville for L70 or guineas. Dr. Mead's
copy--one of the only two known--of 'Rhetorica Nova Fratris Laurentii
Gulielmi de Sacra,' printed at St. Albans, 1480, sold for 2s. At the
Willett sale, in 1813, it brought L79 16s.

[Illustration: _Specimen page of Tyndale's Testament, 1526._]

The rarity of the English translations of the Bible and New Testament
arises from just the opposite cause which has operated in making the
early productions of the English press so scarce. The latter were for
the most part neglected out of existence, whilst the former were
literally read out of it. A complete copy of the _editio princeps_
Coverdale, 1535, is, we believe, unknown. One illustration will
sufficiently indicate the enhanced value of this book, and the
illustration may be taken as a general one in respect to this class of
book: The Perkins copy, which realized L400 in 1873, was purchased at
the Dent sale in 1827 for L89 5s. The more perfect of the only two
copies known of Tyndale's New Testament, first edition, 1526, in the
Baptists' Library at Bristol, is of great interest, and well deserving
of a mention in this place. It has no title-page. Underneath a portrait,
pasted to the first leaf, is this inscription:

'Hoh Maister John Murray of Sacomb,
The works of old Time to collect was his pride,
Till oblivion dreaded his care;
Regardless of friends intestate he dy'd,
So the Rooks and the Crows were his heir.'

[Illustration: _John Murray, of Sacomb, Book-hunter._]

On the opposite leaf is a printed statement to this effect: 'On Tuesday
evening (13 May, 1760) at Mr. Langford's sale of Mr. Ames's books, a
copy of the translation of the New Testament by Tindall, and supposed to
be the only one remaining which escaped the flames, was sold for
fourteen guineas and a half. This very book was picked up by one of the
late Lord Oxford's collectors ['John Murray' written in the margin], and
was esteemed so valuable a purchase by his lordship, that he settled L20
a year for life upon the person who procured it. His Lordship's library
being afterwards purchased by Mr. Osborne, of Gray's Inn, he marked it
at fifteen shillings, for which price Mr. Ames bought it.' (Joh