It is apparent, therefore, that during the last two years an unusually large number of expensive books have come into the market at prices which unquestionably ruled higher than they have ever done before. On the other hand, the tendency of books of an ordinary character-those every-day books which are not primary objects of the collector's regard-is to decline in value, and this they have done to such an extent that a good and useful library might be formed at the present time for about a third less than would have been possible a dozen years ago. Books have consequently become dearer or cheaper according to the kind or class which happens to be in question. There are hundreds and thousands of books which find their way into the auction rooms every season to their bane. They are sometimes derelicts which no one wants-dreary treatises upon nothing in particular, written by unknown men, inferior editions, bad copies and the like-but many are good of their kind, as, for instance, some of the 18th century Greek and Latin classics that time and fashion have passed by. The scholar as distinguished from the collector, though both qualities are often combined in the same person, will find much to interest him at the present time, and in the midst of the war of prices this reflection is comforting and its realisation a distinct gain. The law of compensation holds good even in the matter of books, now cheaper than they have been for a long time past, provided only that rarities and curiosities are avoided. It may be mentioned that the portion of the Earl of Denbigh's Library, sold at Bangor on May 26th and two following days, is mentioned at page 580 with the sole object of supplementing the record of the sale of the first portion, which is more fully reported (see page 458). A dozen entries have been extracted from the voluminous catalogue of the second portion for purposes of future reference, as the library as a whole was very important, though the prices realised at the Bangor sale were, in many cases at least, much below what might have been expected. |