his youth he was a most enthusiastic
book-collector, and at a very early age began to form that noble
library, with which only a few collections of his time could vie in
value, extent or condition. Mr. Turner principally directed his
attention to the acquisition of rare Italian, French and Spanish books.
His English books were not numerous, and there were but few German ones
in the collection, but some of them were of much interest. He possessed
one of the finest copies in existence of the first folio of
Shakespeare's Plays, and an exceptionally good example of the
_Tewrdannck_. He always endeavoured to obtain the best and choicest
copies possible, and many of them, especially the French volumes, were
clothed in beautiful bindings, bearing the arms or devices of Grolier,
Maioli, Diana of Poitiers, Count Mansfeld, Cosmo de' Medici, Thomas
Wotton, Longepierre, Count von Hoym, and other famous collectors. Mr.
Turner resided for some years in Park Square West, Regent's Park,
London, but in 1878 he removed to the Albany, Piccadilly. In
anticipation of his change of residence he determined to part with a
portion of his collection of French books, and on the valuation of the
late M. Potier, of Paris, he offered it to an eminent French amateur _en
bloc_ for four thousand pounds. This offer was declined, and he sent the
books to Paris to be sold by auction. The sale took place at the Salle
Drouot on the 12th of March 1878, and the four following days, when the
lots, seven hundred and seventy-four in number, realised three hundred
and nineteen thousand one hundred francs--considerably more than three
times the sum Mr. Turner was willing to take for them. After his death,
which occurred at Brighton on the 7th of June 1887, the remainder of his
library was disposed of in two sales by Messrs. Sotheby, Wilkinson and
Hodge: the first on June 18th, 1888, and the eleven following days, and
the second on November 23rd, 1888, and the thirteen following days. They
realised respectively thirteen thousand three hundred and seventy
pounds, thirteen shillings, and two thousand eight hundred and
seventy-four pounds, seventeen shillings and sixpence. The prices
obtained for the books, especially at the French sale, were very high. A
dedication copy to Mademoiselle de Montpensier, with the signature of
Charles de Lorraine on the title-page, of _Recueil des Portraits et
Eloges en vers et en prose (de personnages du temps par Mademoiselle de
Montpen