een thousand, and then his
troubles will arise. He has easily got Baker's and Froissart's and
Monstrelet's Chronicles, because there are modern reprints of them in
the market. But if he want Cooper's Chronicle, he may have to wait for
it, since its latest form is still the black-letter. True, I did pick up
a copy lately, at Braidwood's, for half-a-guinea, but that was a
catch--it might have caused the search of a lifetime. Still more
hopeless it is when the collector's ambition extends to The Ladder of
Perfection of Wynkin de Worde, or to his King Rycharde Cure de Lion,
whereof it is reported in the Repertorium Bibliographicum, that "an
imperfect copy, wanting one leaf, was sold by auction at Mr Evans's, in
June 1817, to Mr Watson Taylor for L40, 19s." "Woe betide," says
Dibdin, "the young bibliomaniac who sets his heart upon Breton's
Flourish upon Fancie and Pleasant Toyes of an Idle Head, 1557, 4to; or
Workes of a Young Wyt trussed up with a Fardell of Pretty Fancies!!
Threescore guineas shall hardly fetch these black-letter rarities from
the pigeon-holes of Mr Thorpe. I lack courage to add the prices for
which these copies sold." But he has some comfort reserved for the
hungry collector, in the intimation that The Ravisht Soul and the
Blessed Weaper, by the same author, may be had for L15.[51] It creates a
thrilling interest to know, through the same distinguished authority,
that the Heber sale must have again let loose upon the world "A merry
gest and a true, howe John Flynter made his Testament," concerning which
we are told, with appropriate solemnity and pathos, that "Julian Notary
is the printer of this inestimably precious volume, and Mr Heber is the
thrice-blessed owner of the copy described in the Typographical
Antiquities."

[Footnote 51: Library Companion, p. 699.]

Such works as the Knightly Tale of Galogras, The Temple of Glas, Lodge's
Nettle for Nice Noses, or the Book of Fayts of Armes, by Christene of
Pisa, or Caxton's Pylgremage of the Sowle, or his Myrrour of the Worlde,
will be long inquired after before they come to the market, thoroughly
contradicting that fundamental principle of political economy, that the
supply is always equal to the demand.

He, indeed, who sets his mind on the possession of any one of these
rarities, may go to his grave a disappointed man. It will be in general
the consolation of the collector, however, that he is by no means the
"homo unius libri." There is always someth