Beckford books, for the
collection was divided into four portions, took place at the auction
rooms of Sotheby, Wilkinson and Hodge, and lasted altogether forty days;
the first sale commencing on the 30th of June 1882 and lasting twelve
days, and the last on the 27th of November 1883, and continuing for four
days. The total number of lots in the four sales was nine thousand eight
hundred and thirty-seven, and the amount realised seventy-three thousand
five hundred and fifty-one pounds, eighteen shillings.

[Illustration: WILLIAM BECKFORD. From a Medallion by Singleton.]

Beckford's library was rich in fine early printed books, rare voyages
and travels, and choice French, Spanish and Italian works, but it was
chiefly remarkable for its superb collection of beautiful and historical
bindings. It contained a large number of volumes from the libraries of
Grolier, Maioli, Lauwrin, Canevari, De Thou, Peiresc, and other
distinguished collectors, and also examples of bindings bearing the arms
and devices of Francis I. of France, Henry II. and Diana of Poitiers,
Charles IX., Henry III., Henry IV., Louis XIII., Anne of Austria, etc.;
many of the volumes being bound by Nicolas and Clovis Eve, Le Gascon,
Padeloup, Derome, Monnier and other famous French binders. Very high
prices were obtained for many of these splendid books--_Lactantii
Opera_, printed in the Monastery of Subiaco by Sweynheym and Pannartz in
1465, sold for two hundred and eighty-five pounds; _Biblia Latina_,
printed on vellum by N. Jenson at Venice in 1476, three hundred and
thirty pounds; _Livre de Bien Vivre_, on vellum, finely illuminated,
Paris, A. Verard, 1492, three hundred and thirty pounds; _Philostrati
Vita Apollonii Tyanei_, printed by Aldus at Venice in 1502, Grolier's
copy, bound in red morocco, three hundred pounds; _Lucanus_, printed by
Aldus in 1515, Grolier's copy, bound in marbled calf, two hundred and
ninety pounds; _Tirante il Bianco_, Vinegia, 1538, red morocco, from the
library of Demetrio Canevari, one hundred and eleven pounds; _Entree de
Henry II. en Paris 6 Juing_ 1549, etc., with the arms and cypher of de
Thou on the binding, four hundred and seventy pounds; _Psalmorum
Paraphrasis Poetica_, by G. Buchanan, beautifully bound in olive
morocco, with the arms and cypher of De Thou, three hundred and ten
pounds; _Livre de la Conqueste de la Toison d'Or par le Prince Jason_,
par J. Gohory, Paris, 1563, in a beautiful binding by Nicolas Eve, with