books relating to Pope,
Junius, George IV., Queen Caroline, Princess Olive of Cumberland,
Reynard the Fox, and Longevity. The first part of the library of another
indefatigable book-hunter, Cornelius Walford, came under the hammer at
the same place (Sotheby's) in February, 1887. Some interesting books
were included in the four days' sale of the library of Sir William
Hardy, F.S.A., late Deputy-Keeper of the Public Records (December,
1886), but the books were chiefly first editions of modern authors.

[Illustration: _W. J. Thoms, Book-collector._

Founder of _Notes and Queries_.]

But the two great collections of books, equally celebrated in their way,
with, however, little in common, which give to the year 1887 a most
special importance, were those of the Earl of Crawford, and the first
portion of the late James T. Gibson Craig's (of Edinburgh), both of
which were dispersed in June, each occupying Messrs. Sotheby ten days in
the dispersal. The Crawford sale of 2,146 lots realized a total of
L19,073 9s. 6d., or an average of over L8 17s. per lot, whilst the
Gibson Craig sale of 2,927 lots produced only L6,803 8s., or an average
of a little over L2 6s. The former included, however, a perfect copy of
the Mazarin or Gutenberg Bible, which realized L2,650, and a copy of
Fust and Schoeffer's Bible, 1462, which sold for L1,025. Coverdale's
Bible realized L226, and Tyndale's Bible L255, whilst Tyndale's New
Testament, printed at Antwerp by Emperour, brought L230. The celebrated
block-book, the Apocalypse of St. John, generally regarded as the second
attempt in xylographic printing, realized L500. Sir Philip Sidney's
'Arcadia,' 1590, first edition, sold for L93. (It may be here mentioned
that the second portion of the Crawford library was sold in June, 1889,
when 1,105 lots realized L7,324 4s. 6d.--three Caxtons produced a total
of L588; Cicero, 'Old Age,' 1481, etc., L320; Higden's 'Policronicon,'
1482, L33; and 'Christine of Pisa,' 1489, L235.) The Gibson Craig
collection was essentially a modern one, and included a number of finely
illustrated books. One of the chief rarities was a copy of the first
edition of 'Robinson Crusoe,' which fetched L50. There were also a
number of autograph letters and MSS. of Sir Walter Scott, the most
important of which was the MS. of the 'Chronicles of the Canongate,'
L141. The second and third portions of the Gibson Craig library were
sold in March and November, 1888, the total of the three s