..that I take you with me to the collection
of PRINTED BOOKS. Accordingly, let us ascend the forementioned lofty flight
of stone steps, and paying attention to the affiche of "wiping our shoes,"
let us enter: go straight forward: make our obeisance to Monsieur Van
Praet, and sit down doggedly but joyfully to the glorious volumes...many of
them

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 FO