reciation of old books seems to be, to a large
and increasing extent, in the ratio of their literary or artistic
attraction; and under the second head we comprise typography and
wood-engraving; and we think that we could establish that, as a rule,
the highest bids in modern days are for something of which the
reputation or importance, or both, are a matter of tacit
acknowledgment and acceptance. A merely _curious_ volume may fetch
money; but it must be something beyond that to make the pulse beat
more quickly and form a record.

Two considerations govern and recommend such a course--those of
commercial expediency and of space. There is not much probability that
in the time to come book-buyers will arise to renew the traditions of
the Harleian and Heber libraries, or even of such vast heterogeneous
assemblages of literary monuments as those formed by Sir Thomas
Phillipps, James Crossley, Joseph Tasker, Gibson-Craig, and a few
others. The feeling is more in favour of the French view--small and
choice; and there is no doubt that, as a rule, the sale of a
collection should not occupy more than three days. Beyond that time
the interest flags and prices are apt to recede.

At the same time there has always been, and will be, a powerful
curiosity in the direction of knowing or hearing what certain rare or
superlatively important books occasionally bring. The feeling is
rather more general than might be imagined, for it extends to those
who are not collectors, yet like to see how foolish other people are,
or, again, store up the information, in case they should have the good
fortune to meet with similar things in their travels. When one thinks
of the extraordinary casualities which have brought to light
undescribed works or editions, and continue to do so year by year,
there is no reason to despair of completing ourselves in due course in
many and many a direction. The tendency in prices of late has
certainly been favourable to books which are at once rare and
admittedly important; and we have said that the latter feature and
quality appear to be weightier than mere unfrequency of occurrence.
For instance, any given number of copies of such comparatively common
volumes as the first folio Shakespeare, the first _Faery Queen_, the
first _Paradise Lost_, Herrick, Beaumont and Fletcher, will present
themselves in the market and command steadily advancing figures; it is
the same with Pope and Dryden in a measure, and with some of