them”—­(rejoined he) but from these you must not judge of the remainder.  So saying, he put into my hands the first editions of Horace and Virgil, each of 1501, and bound in one volume, in old red morocco.  They were gems—­almost of the very first order, and—­almost of their original magnitude:  measuring six inches and three eighths, by three inches and seven eighths.  They are likewise sound and clean:  but the Virgil is not equal to Lord Spencer’s similar copy, in whiteness of colour, or beauty of illumination.  Indeed the illuminations in the Munich copy are left in an unfinished state.  In the ardour of the moment I talked of these two precious volumes being worth “120 louis d’or.”  M.B. smiled gently, as he heard me, and deliberately returned the volumes to their stations—­intimating, by his manner, that not thrice that sum should dispossess the library of such treasures.  I have lost my memoranda as to the number of these vellum Alduses; but the impression upon my mind is, that they have not more than six.

Of course, I asked for a VELLUM Tewrdanckhs of 1517, and my guide forthwith placed two MEMBRANACEOUS copies of this impression before me:—­adding, that almost every copy contained variations, more or less, in the text.  Indeed I found M.B. “doctissimus” upon this work; and I think he said that he had published upon it as well as Camus.[64] This is about the ninety-ninth time that I have most sensibly regretted my utter ignorance, of the language (German) in which it pleaseth M. Bernhard to put forth his instructive bibliographical lucubrations.  Of these two copies, one has the cuts coloured, and is very little cropt:  the other has the cuts uncoloured, and is decidedly cropt.

With the Tewrdanckhs, I take my leave both of the public library of Munich and (for the present) of its obliging and well-informed Second Librarian.  But I must not leave this WORLD OF BOOKS without imparting to you the satisfaction which I felt on witnessing half a dozen grave-looking scribes employed, chiefly under the direction of M. Bernhard, in making out a classed catalogue of Fifteeners—­preparatory to the sale of their Duplicates.  This catalogue will be important in many respects; and I hope to see it in my own country within two years from the date of the present epistle.[65]

And now methinks it is high time to put the concluding paragraph to this said epistle—­so charged with bibliographical intelligence respecting the capital of Bavaria.  You must give it more than one perusal if you wish to digest it thoroughly.  My next, within forty-eight hours hereof, will leave me on the eve of departure from hence.  In the meanwhile, prepare for some pleasant BOOK TIDINGS in my ensuing despatch.

[40] Both the nave and towers appear in Hartmann Schedel’s view of Munich,
    in the Nuremberg Chronicle of 1493:  see fol. ccxxvi.  The
    “pepper-box” terminations are, I conceive, of a later date.