Rough with barbaric gold,

which, through his polite directions, are placed before us.  To come to plain matter of fact.  Receive, my good friend, in right earnest and with the strictest adherence to truth, a list of some of those rarer and more magnificent productions of the ancient art of printing, which I have been so many years desirous of inspecting, and which now, for the first time, present themselves to my notice and admiration.  After the respectable example of M. Van Praet,[43] I shall generally, add the sizes, or measurement[44] of the respective books examined—­not so much for the sake of making those unhappy whose copies are of less capacious dimensions, as for the consolation of those whose copies may lift up their heads in a yet more aspiring attitude.  One further preliminary remark.  I send you this list precisely in the order in which chance, rather than a preconcerted plan, happened to present the books to me.

RECUEIL DES HISTOIRES DE TROYE. Printed by Caxton.  Folio.  The late M. De La Serna Santander, who was Head Librarian of the public Library at Brussels, purchased this book for the Royal Library for 150 francs.[45] It is in the finest possible state of preservation; and is bound in red morocco, with rather a tawdry lining of light blue water-tabby silk.

THE SAME WORK. Printed by Verard, without date.  Folio.  This copy is UPON VELLUM; in the finest possible condition both for size and colour.  It is printed in Verard’s small gothic type, in long lines, with a very broad margin.  The wood-cuts are coloured.  The last leaf of the first book is MS.:  containing only sixteen lines upon the recto of the leaf.  This fine copy is bound in red morocco.

HORAE BEATAE VIRGINIS, Gr. Printed by Aldus. 1497. 12mo.  Perhaps the rarest Aldine volume in the world:—­when found in a perfect state.  M. Renouard had not been able to discover a copy to enrich his instructive annals of the Aldine typography.[46] The present copy is four inches and five eighths, by three inches and a half.  It is in its original clasp binding, with stamped leather-outsides.[47]

THE SHYPPE OF FOOLES. Printed by Wynkyn de Worde. 1509. 8vo.  At length this far-famed and long talked of volume has been examined.  It is doubtless a prodigious curiosity, and unique—­inasmuch as this copy is UPON VELLUM.  The vellum is stout but soft.  I suspect this copy to be rather cropt.  It is bound in red morocco, and is perfectly clean and sound throughout.

ROMAN DE JASON.  In French. Printed by Caxton.  Folio.  A little history is attached to the acquisition of this book, which may be worth recital.  An unknown, and I may add an unknowing, person, bought this most exceedingly rare volume, with the Qudriloge of Alain Chartier, 1477, Folio, in one and the same ancient wooden binding, for the marvellously moderate sum of—­ one louis!  The purchaser brought the volume to M. de La Serna Santander, and