ith a deep sigh and lifted-up hands--"Lord only knows what
would be its ransom"; and yet it was originally secured, by skill and
research, for the easy equivalent of twopence sterling.' It has been
repeatedly stated that there is no foundation whatever for this
anecdote; but Scott himself expressly states in a note that it is
literally true, and that David Wilson 'was a real personage.' 'Snuffy
Davy' has been identified with Clarke, the bookseller of New Bond
Street, whose 'Repertorium Bibliographicum' is a most valuable book.
However that may be, it is certain that the King did not give any such
price at any such sale. The King's copy was purchased at West's sale in
1773 for L32 0s. 6d. At the Askew sale the King's purchases did not
exceed L300, and the items were almost exclusively editions of the
classics. It is certain, however, that Caxton's books have experienced
many ups and downs. Mr. Blades tells us of an incident in which he was
personally concerned. He happened on a copy of the 'Canterbury Tales' in
a dirty pigeon-hole close to the grate in the vestry of the French
Protestant Church, St. Martin's-le-Grand; it was fearfully mutilated,
and was being used leaf by leaf--a book originally worth L800.

[Illustration: _From 'Game and Play of Chesse,' by Caxton._]

Caxton's immediate successors met with a fate similar to his own. The
most remarkable feature of Richard Rawlinson's[136:A] library (sold by
Samuel Leigh in 1756), which contained nearly 25,000 volumes, consisted
in the large quantity of Old English black-letter books, and these, of
course, realized absurdly low figures, as the following list testifies:

L s. d.
'The Newe Testament in English,' 1500 0 2 9
'The Ymage of both Churches, after the Revelation
of St. John,' by Bale, 1550 0 1 6
'The Boke called the Pype or Toune of Perfection,'
by Richard Whytforde, 1532 0 1 9
'The Visions of Pierce Plowman,' 1561 0 2 0
'The Creede of Pierce Plowman,' 1553 0 1 6
'The Booke of Moses in English,' 1530 0 3 9
'Bale's Actes of English Votaryes,' 1550 0 1 3
'The Boke of Chivalrie,' by Caxton 0 11 0
'The Boke of St. Albans,' by W. de Worde 1 1 0

[Illustration: _Specimen of the type of 'The Boke of St. Albans.'_]