illing. A copy of the catalogue with the
prices and the names of the purchasers is preserved in the Library of
King George III. in the British Museum. Many of the more valuable books
were purchased by Gough, the antiquary, the greater part of which were
bequeathed by him to the Bodleian Library. Although Horace Walpole, in a
letter to the Rev. W. Cole, dated April 7th, 1773, writes that he
considered 'the books were selling outrageously,' the prices were only
fairly good for the time, and not high. The thirty-four Caxtons realised
no more than three hundred and sixty-one pounds, four shillings and
sixpence. The highest prices obtained were forty-seven pounds, fifteen
shillings and sixpence for the first edition of Chaucer's _Canterbury
Tales_, thirty-two pounds, eleven shillings for the _Recuyell of the
Histories of Troy_, thirty-two pounds and sixpence for the first edition
of the _Game of the Chesse_, and twenty-one pounds for the second
edition of the _Dictes or Sayings of the Philosophers_. These four works
were purchased for King George III., who bought largely at the sale.
Among many other rare English books a fine example of the _Bokys of
Hawkyng and Huntyng_, printed at St. Albans in 1486, fetched thirteen
pounds, and unique copies of two works from the press of Wynkyn de
Worde--_The Passe Tyme of Pleasure_, 1517, and the _Historye of Olyver
of Castille_, 1518--three guineas, and one pound, twelve shillings
respectively. The latter book was reprinted in 1898 by Mr.
Christie-Miller for the Roxburghe Club. It was edited by Mr. R.E.
Graves, late Assistant-Keeper, Department of Printed Books, British
Museum. West's famous collection of ballads, which was begun by Robert
Harley, Earl of Oxford, was bought for twenty pounds by Major Pearson,
who made many additions to it. It afterwards came into the possession of
the Duke of Roxburghe, by whom it was also greatly enlarged. After
passing through the library of Mr. Bright, it was finally acquired in
1845 by the trustees of the British Museum.

Among the manuscripts a beautifully illuminated Missal, made by order of
King Henry VII. for his daughter Margaret, afterwards Queen Consort of
James IV., King of Scotland, was bought by the Duke of Northumberland
for thirty-two pounds, eleven shillings; a Book of Hours sold for
forty-three pounds, one shilling; and a manuscript of Boccaccio for
twenty-five pounds, four shillings. Both of these manuscripts had
exceedingly fine ill