10. _Topography._

Even to a veteran like the late Mr. Gough, such a collection as may be found from p. 217 to 239 of the catalogue, would be considered a very first-rate acquisition. I am aware that the Gothic wainscot and stained glass windows of _Enfield Study_ enshrined a still more exquisite topographical collection! But we are improved since the days of Mr. West; and every body knows to _whom_ these improvements are, in a great measure, to be attributed! When I call to mind the author of "_British Topography_" and "_Sepulchral Monuments_," I am not insensible to the taste, diligence, and erudition of the "par nobile fratrum," who have gratified us with the "_Environs of London_," and the three volumes of "_Magna Britannia_!" Catalogues of Mr. West's library, with the sums for which the books were sold, are now found with difficulty, and bring a considerable price.

The late Mr. G. Baker, who had a surprisingly curious collection of priced catalogues, was in possession of the _original sale_ one of West's library. It is interleaved, and, of course, has the prices and names of the purchasers.

Mr. Heber has also a priced copy, with the names, which was executed by my industrious and accurate predecessor, William Herbert, of typographico-antiquarian renown. The number of articles, on the whole, was 4653; and of the volumes as many articles were single, probably about 8000. _Ample_ as some "pithy" reader may imagine the foregoing analysis to be, I cannot find it in my heart to suffer such a collection, as was the _Bibliotheca Westiana_, to be here dismissed in so _summary_ a manner. Take, therefore, "pleasaunt" reader, the following account of the _prices_ for which some of the aforesaid book-gems were sold. They are presented to thee as a matter of curiosity only; and not as a criterion of their present value. And as MASTER CAXTON has of late become so popular amongst us, we will see, inter alios, what some of the books printed by so "simple a person" produced at this renowned sale.

NO. 564. Salesbury (Wyllyam) his Dictionary in Englyshe and Welshe, moste necessary to all such Welshemen as wil spedly learne the English tongue, &c. _Printed by Waley_, 1547, 4to. 0 17_s._ 0_d._

566. Mulcaster (Rich.) of the right writing of our English Tung. _Imp. by Vautrollier_, 1582, 4to. 0 2 6

575. Florio's Frutes to be gathered of 12 trees of divers but delyghtfule tastes to the Tongues of Italians and Englishmen, also his Garden of Recreation, &c., 1591, 4to. 0 6 6

580. Eliot's Indian Grammar, _no title_. 0 4 0

Thus much for GRAMMATICAL TRACTS.

808. The fyve Bokes of Moses, wythe the Prologes of Wyllyam Tyndale, b.b. 1534, _printed in different characters at different periods_, 8vo. 4 4 0

813. The Actes of the Apostles translated into Englyshe metre, by Chrystofer Tye, Doctor in musyke, with notes to synge, and also to play upon the lute. _Printed by Seres_, 1553, 12mo. 0 11 6

819. The Newe Testament, with the Prologes of Wyllyam Tyndale, cuts, printed at Andwarp, &c., 1534, 12mo. 0 18 0

820. The same, with the same cuts, emprynted at Antwerpe, by M. Crom, 1538, _a fine copy, in morocco binding_ (title wanting). 2 4 0

1341. The Gospels of the fower Evangelists, translated in the olde Saxons Tyme, &c. Sax. and Eng. Imprinted by Daye, 1571, 4to. 1 12 0

1383. The Discipline of the Kirk of Scotlande, subscribet by the Handes off Superintendentes, one parte off Ministers, and scribet in oure generalle Assemblies ad Edenbourg, 28 Decemb., 1566. _No title._ 4to. 1 3 0

1714. The most sacred Bible, recognised with great diligence by Richard Taverner, &c., _printed by Byddell for Barthelet, 1539, in russia_. 3 5 0

1716. The Byble in Englyshe of the largest and greatest volume, &c. _Printed by Grafton_, 1541, Folio. 1 3 0

1870. Speculum Vite Christi, the Booke that is cleped the Myrroure of the blessed Lyf of Jhesu Cryste, _emprynted by Caxton_, fol., _no date, fine copy in morocco_. 9 9 0

1871. The prouffytable Boke for Mannes Soule, &c., _emprynted by Caxton_, fol., no date, a fine copy in morocco. 5 0 0

1873. Cordyale, or of the fowre last Thynges, &c., _emprynted by Caxton_, 1480, fol., _fine copy in morocco_.

14 0 0

1874. The Pylgremage of the Sowle, &c., 1483, folio, _emprynted by Caxton_. 8 17 6

1875. The Booke entytled and named Ryal, &c., _translated and printed by Caxton_, 1484, _fine morocco copy_. 10 0 0

1876. The Arte and Crafte to knowe well to dye; _translated and prynted by Caxton_, 1490, folio. 5 2 6

So take we leave of DIVINITY!

1047. Hall's Virgidemiarum, lib. vi. 1599, 1602, 12mo. "Mr.

Pope's copy, who presented it to Mr. West, telling him that he esteemed them the best poetry and truest satire in the English language." (N.B. These satires were incorrectly published in 1753, 8vo.: a republication of them, with pertinent notes, would be very acceptable.) 0 18 0

1658. Churchyard's Works; 3 vols. in 1, _very elegant_, bl.

letter. 3 13 6

1816. The Passe Tyme of Pleasure, &c., _printed by Wynkyn de Worde_, 1517, 4to., fine copy. 3 3 0

1821. Merie conceited Jests of George Peele, Gent. 1607, 4to. Robin the Devil, his two penni-worth of Wit in half a penni-worth of paper, &c., 1607, 4to. 0 18 6

1846. The Hye Waye to the Spyttell Hous; printed by the compyler Rob. Copland, no date. 0 6 6

1847. Another copy of the Spyttell House; "A thousande fyve hundredth fortye and foure," no printer's name, mark, or date, 4to. Here begynneth a lytell propre Jest, called Cryste Crosse me spede, a b c. 1 11 6

2274. Chaucer's Work; first edition, _emprentyd by Caxton_, folio, _in russia_. 47 15 6

2280. ---- Troylus and Creseyde, _printed b [Transcriber's Note: by] Caxton_, folio. 10 10 0

2281. ---- Booke of Fame, _printed by Caxton_, folio. 4 5 0

2297. Gower de Confessione Amantis; _printed by Caxton_, 1483, folio, _in morocco_. 9 9 0

2282. The Bokys of Haukyng and Hunting; _printed at Seynt Albons_, 1486, _folio: fine copy in morocco_. 13 0 0

And here farewell POETRY!

1678. The Booke of the moste victoryouse Prynce, Guy of Warwick. _Impr. by W. Copland_, 4to. 1 1 0

1683. The Historye of Graunde Amoure and la bell Pucel, &c.

_Impr. by John Wayland_, 1554, 4to. 1 2 0

1685. The Historye of Olyver of Castylle, &c. _Impr. by Wynkyn de Worde_, 1518, 4to. 1 12 0

1656. The Booke of the Ordre of Chyvalry or Knyghthode.

_Translated and printed by William Caxton_; no date, a fine copy in russia, 4to. 5 5 0

(Shall I put one, or one hundred marks--not of admiration but of astonishment--at this price?! but go on kind reader!)

2480. The Boke of Jason: _emprynted by Caxton_, folio. 4 4 0

2481. The Boke of Fayttes of Armes and of Chyvalrye, _emprynted by Caxton_, 1489, folio. 10 10 0

2582. Thystorye, &c., of the Knyght Parys, and of the fayre Vyenne, &c. 1485, fol., _translated and printed by Caxton_.

14 0 0

[Illustration: CAXTON.]

But why should I go on tantalising the S----s, H----s, S----s, R----s, and U----s, of the day, by further specimens of the _enormous_ sums here given for such _common_ editions of old ROMANCES? Mr. George Nicol, his majesty's bookseller, told me, with his usual pleasantry and point, that he got abused in the public papers, by Almon and others, for his having purchased nearly the whole of the Caxtonian volumes in this collection for his Majesty's library. It was said abroad that "a Scotchman had lavished away the king's money in buying old black-letter books." A pretty specimen of _lavishing_ away royal money, truly! There is also another thing, connected with these _invaluable_ (I speak as a bibliomaniac--and, perhaps, as a metaphysician may think--as a fool! but let it pass!) with these invaluable purchases:--his Majesty, in his directions to Mr. Nicol, forbade any competition with those purchasers who wanted books of science and belles-lettres for their _own professional_ or _literary_ pursuits: thus using, I ween, the powers of his purse in a manner at once merciful and wise.--"O si sic"--may we say to many a heavy-metalled book-auction bibliomaniac of the present day!--Old Tom Payne, the father of the respectable Mr. Payne, of Pall-Mall, used to tell Mr. Nichol--_pendente hasta_--that he had been "raising all the CAXTONS!" "Many a copy," quoth he, "hath _stuck_ in my shop at two guineas!" Mr. NICHOLS, in his amusing biography of Bowyer, has not devoted so large a portion of his pages to the description of Mr. West's collection, life, and character, as he has to many collectors who have been less eminently distinguished in the bibliographical world. Whether this was the result of the paucity, or incongruity, of his materials, or whether, from feelings of delicacy he might not choose to declare all he knew, are points into which I have neither right nor inclination to enquire. There seems every reason to conclude that, from youth, West had an elegant and well-directed taste in matters of literature and the fine arts. As early as the year 1720, he shewed the munificence of his disposition, in these respects, by befriending Hearne with a plate for his _Antiquities of Glastonbury_; see p.

285--which was executed, says Hearne, "Sumptibus ornatissimi amicissimique Juvenis (multis sane nominibus de studiis nostris optime meriti) JACOBI WEST," &c. So in his pref. to _Adam de Domerham de reb. gest. Glaston_:--"antiquitatum ac historiarum nostrarum studiosus in primis--Jacobus West." p.

xx. And in his _Walter Hemingford_, we have:--"fragmentum, ad civitatem Oxoniensem pertinens, admodum egregium, mihi dono dedit amicus eximius Jacobus West--is quem alibi juvenem ornatissimum appellavi," &c., p. 428. How the promise of an abundant harvest, in the mature years of so excellent a young man, was realized, the celebrity of West, throughout Europe, to his dying day, is a sufficient demonstration. I conclude with the following; which is literally from Nichols's _Anecdotes of Bowyer_. "James West, of Alscott, in the county of Warwick, Esq., M.A., of Baliol College, Oxford, (son of Richard West, said to be descended, according to family tradition, from Leonard, a younger son of Thomas West, Lord Delawar, who died in 1525) was representative in parliament for St. Alban's, in 1741; and being appointed one of the joint Secretaries of the Treasury, held that office till 1762. In 1765 or 1766, his old patron the Duke of Newcastle, obtained for him a pension of 2000_l._ a year. He was an early member, and one of the Vice Presidents, of the Antiquary Society; and was first Treasurer, and afterwards President, of the Royal Society.

He married the daughter and heiress of Sir Thomas Stephens, timber merchant, in Southwark, with whom he had a large fortune in houses in Rotherhithe; and by whom he had a son, James West, Esq., now (1782) of Alscott, one of the Auditors of the Land-Tax, and sometime Member of Parliament for Boroughbridge, in Yorkshire (who in 1774 married the daughter of Christopher Wren, of Wroxhall in Warwickshire, Esq.), and had two daughters. Mr. West died in July, 1772.

His large and valuable collection of MANUSCRIPTS was sold to the _Earl of Shelburne_, and is now deposited in the British Museum."]