ry, 1872, but since that period, by a strict limitation of my
competitive resources to one subject--the Life of Shakespeare--I have
managed to jog along without parting with a single article of any
description.'

A much more important collection of Shakespeariana than that which
appeared in the Halliwell-Phillipps sale came under the hammer at the
same place a few days afterwards, when the late Frederick Perkins's
library was dispersed (2,086 lots realized L8,222 7s.). The sale, in
fact, was the most important in this respect since that of George Daniel
in 1864, to which, however, the Perkins Collection was considerably
inferior. Mr. Perkins had spent many years of search and a large sum of
money in collecting early editions of Shakespeare, but during the past
thirty years not only has their value gone up in an appalling degree,
but they are for the most part positively unprocurable. Under these
depressing conditions, Mr. Perkins managed nevertheless to obtain
eighteen first or very early quarto editions of Shakespeare's plays; and
poor as is this show when compared with that of George Daniel, it is
doubtful whether a sale so extensive from the particular point of view
under consideration as that of Mr. Perkins can be expected until well
into the next century. The highest price was paid for 'The Second Part
of Henrie the Fourth,' 1600, L225; 'Romeo and Juliet,' 1599, fetched
L164; the 'Merchant of Venice,' 1600 (printed by J. Roberts), L121;
'Henry V.,' 1608, third edition, L99. The First Folio fetched L415.

The dispersals of book-collections in 1890 included a few of
considerable note. The exceedingly extensive one, for example, of the
late Sir Edward Sullivan, Bart., Lord Chancellor of Ireland, was highly
interesting as illustrating a phase of book-collecting which is now all
but obsolete. It was rich in the classics, which three-quarters of a
century ago would have created the greatest excitement. It occupied
twenty-one days (May-June), when 6,919 lots realized a total of L10,982
3s.--a highly satisfactory result, when the general depreciation in the
market value of the classics is considered. The extensive library of Mr.
Thomas Gaisford (2,218 lots, L9,182 15s. 6d.), which was sold in April,
1890, included not only some fine editions of the classics, but a
remarkable series of Blake's works, first editions of Keats, Byron,
Shelley, Swinburne, the four folio editions of Shakespeare, and a few
quartos, notably the '