ome
of his book-collecting zeal from Perry. His book-buying and literary
career commenced, according to his own account, in 1804 or 1805, when
his father took him into the shop of Thomas Rodd, senior, on which
occasion he purchased his 'first Old English book of any value,' namely,
Wilson's 'Art of Logic,' printed by Grafton, 1551; from this he
ascertained that 'Ralf Roister Doister' was an older play than 'Gammer
Gurton's Needle,' and also that it was by Nicholas Udal, Master of Eton
School. When in Holland, in the winter of 1813-14, Collier purchased
among other books an imperfect copy of Tyndale's 'Gospel of St.
Matthew,' to which, as he says in his 'Diary,' 'the date of 1526 [1525]
has been assigned, and which seems to be the very earliest translation
into English of any portion of the New Testament. Many years
afterwards--I think in the spring of 1832--I happened to show it to
Rodd, the learned bookseller. I was at that time ignorant on the
subject, and Rodd offered me books to the value of two or three pounds
for it. I gladly accepted them.' This fragment, for which Collier paid a
florin, was sold to Mr. Grenville by Rodd for L50, and is now in the
British Museum. Writing in the _Athenaeum_, January 31, 1852, he gives an
account of the origin of events which led to one of the fiercest
literary quarrels of modern times: 'A short time before the death of the
late Mr. Rodd, of Newport Street [_i.e._ early in 1849], I happened to
be in his shop when a considerable parcel of books arrived from the
country. He told me that they had been bought for him at an auction--I
think in Bedfordshire. . . . He unpacked them in my presence . . . and
there were two which attracted my attention, one being a fine copy of
Florio's "Italian Dictionary," of the edition of 1611, and the other a
much-thumbed, abused, and imperfect copy of the Second Folio of
Shakespeare, 1632. The first I did not possess, and the last I was
willing to buy, inasmuch as I apprehended it would add some missing
leaves to a copy of the same impression which I had had for some time on
my shelves. As was his usual course, Mr. Rodd required a very reasonable
price for both; for the first I remember I gave 12s. and for the last
only L1 10s. . . . On the outside of one of the covers was inscribed,
"Tho. Perkins, his booke."' Collier was vexed at finding that the volume
contained no leaves which would help him in completing the volume he
already had. He had employed a