contest terms it "the Waterloo among book-battles,"
whereto "many a knight came far and wide from his retirement, and many
an unfledged combatant left his father's castle to partake of the glory
of such a contest." He also tells us that the honour of the first
effective shot was due to a house in the trade--Messrs Payne and
Foss--by whom "the Aldine Greek Bible was killed off the first in the
contest. It produced the sum of L4, 14s. 6d. Thus measuredly, and
guardedly, and even fearfully, did this tremendous battle begin." The
earliest brilliant affair seems to have come off when Lord Spencer
bought two Caxtons for L245, a feat of which the closing scene is
recorded, with a touching simplicity, in these terms:--"His Lordship put
each volume under his coat, and walked home with them in all the flush
of victory and consciousness of triumph." As every one does not possess
a copy of the three costly volumes of which the Bibliographical
Decameron consists--and, further, as many a one so fortunate as to
possess them has not had patience and perseverance enough to penetrate
to the middle of the third volume, where the most readable part is to be
found--a characteristic extract, describing the heat of the contest, may
not be unwelcome:--

"For two-and-forty successive days--with the exception only of
Sundays--were the voice and hammer of Mr Evans heard with equal efficacy
in the dining-room of the late Duke, which had been appropriated to the
vendition of the books; and within that same space (some thirty-five
feet by twenty) were such deeds of valour performed, and such feats of
book-heroism achieved, as had never been previously beheld, and of which
the like will probably never be seen again. The shouts of the victors
and the groans of the vanquished stunned and appalled you as you
entered. The striving and press, both of idle spectators and determined
bidders, was unprecedented. A sprinkling of Caxtons and De Wordes marked
the first day, and these were obtained at high, but, comparatively with
the subsequent sums given, moderate prices. Theology, jurisprudence,
philosophy, and philology chiefly marked the earlier days of this
tremendous contest; and occasionally during these days, there was much
stirring up of courage, and many hard and heavy blows were interchanged;
and the combatants may be said to have completely wallowed themselves in
the conflict. At length came poetry, Latin, Italian, and French: a
steady fight yet cont