resborough._
_Mrs. Winlove's Rise of Learning._
_The Concert of Birds, from Tommy Tag._]

[Illustrations: 9_1, 9_2

_Frontispiece to Tommy Playlove and Joseph Lovebook._
_Whitfield's Tabernacle, Moorfields, or Spa Fields Chapel. (?)_]

In Blade's Life of Caxton, the reader will find interesting examples of
the earliest woodcut blocks illustrating the quaint and rare tomes
issued by the Almonry, Westminster, also at Oxford. The Robin Hood
Garland blocks (circa 1680 or earlier), is one of the earliest
provincial blocks with a distinct history. We can trace them in varied
collections used by early London and Provincial printers, and in the
London Bridge printed Chap Book Literature.

Sutton, printer of Nottingham, issued a curious quarto volume of old
woodcuts. He was descended from the celebrated T. Sutton, who founded
the Charterhouse. Some twenty-five years ago I went over the very quaint
collection with the proprietor, and suggested a volume being issued, but
the idea had already been matured by him.

Robert White, the poet and local historian of Newcastle upon Tyne--by
whose favour I reprinted Tommy Trip in 1867--has one of the choicest,
most comprehensive, and rarest libraries of local stories, garlands,
ballads, and chap books, and North country folk-lore children's books,
almanacks, primers, "A. B. C.," horn books, battledores, etc., that were
ever gathered together. I am glad to place on record, that by his will,
his collection will remain intact. The special opportunities afforded
him at the time for collecting them have entirely passed away.

I believe he was descended from John White, printer for the five
northern counties of England to King William. This is referred to by Mr.
Dodd in his preface to a quarto volume of woodcut impressions. William
Dodd fully appreciated the local interest, by producing a limited
impression of the quaint blocks in his possession.

The Rev. Mr. Hugo had a very large and important collection of blocks
and books, and at his death I arranged and catalogued them for Messrs.
Sotheby, according to the wish of his widow. The Rev. gentleman had
wished his collection to be purchased by the trustees of the British
Museum, but some little hitch occurred and this was not accomplished.
In his collection the Robin Hood block, perforated with worm holes,
realized quite a fancy price.

Among the relics of ancient woodcutting, are some so early and crude in
their execution--qua