t appears to have
been victimized by the knock-out system. One of the lots, comprising a
large collection of scarce old plays in fifty-six volumes, quarto, was
knocked down to one bookseller for L5 5s.; he then passed it on to
another for L18, and the collection was sold on the spot to Henderson
the actor for L31 10s. At this same sale the English Bible, 1537,
realized 13s.; two copies of the Common Prayer Book, 1552, 8s.; the
First Folio Shakespeare, with two other books, L2 4s.; the 'Legenda
Aurea,' printed by Notary, 1503, 10s. 6d. It would not be difficult to
extend this list of illustrations, but perhaps one example is as good as
a hundred.

We may, appropriately enough, conclude this brief but sufficiently
lengthy notice of the knock-out system with an anecdote which shows
that, in this case, a 'knock-out' would have been justifiable. At a
certain famous book-sale a few years ago, a volume of no particular
interest, except that it contained the autograph of the Earl of
Derwentwater, was possibly worth L5. But the bidding was brisk, two of
the dealers being evidently bent on having the prize. To the
astonishment of everybody, the price went up to about 120 guineas, when
one of the dealers gave in. Taking the other man aside, he said, 'Who
have you been bidding for?' 'Mr. So-and-So.' 'So have I.' Another
illustration of the unexpected and incomprehensibly sudden rise in the
auction value of books is explained in the following extract of a letter
from Horace Walpole: 'I cannot conclude my letter without telling you
what an escape I had, at the sale of Dr. Mead's library, which goes
extremely dear. In the catalogue I saw Winstanley's "Views of Audley
End," which I concluded was a thin dirty folio, worth about fifteen
shillings. As I thought it might be scarce, it might run to two or three
guineas; however, I bid Graham _certainly_ buy it for me. He came the
next morning in a great fright, said he did not know whether he had done
right or very wrong; that he had gone as far as _nine and forty
guineas_. I started in such a fright! Another bookseller had, luckily,
as unlimited a commission, and bid fifty. I shall never give an
unbounded commission again.'

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

SOME HUMOURS OF BOOK-CATALOGUES.

AN interesting and curious pendant to Mr. H. B. Wheatley's 'Literary
Blunders' might be made up of the errors which have occurred from time
to time in booksellers' catalogues. These errors