Bishop of
Durham) during his exile, and dated July 18, 1651, we get a delightful
glimpse of two book-lovers doing 'a deal.' Mr. Evelyn was apparently a
man who could drive a bargain with Hebraic shrewdness. 'Truly, sir,'
expostulated mildly the excited ecclesiastic, 'I thought I had prevented
any further motion of abatement by the large offer that I made to
you. . . . If you consider their number, I desire you would be pleased
to consider likewise, that they are a choice number, and a company of
the best selected books among them all. . . . There is in your note
Pliny's "Natural History" in English, priced at 36s., which is worth L3;
Camden's "Errors," priced at 5s. 6d., for which I have seen L1 given;
Paulus Jovius at L1, which sells now in Paris at 4 pistoles; and Pol.
Virgil at 10s., which sells here for L10; William of Malmesbury at 15s.,
for which they demand here L30, and Asser Menev, etc., at 14s., which
they will not part with here nor elsewhere abroad for L20.'

It is highly probable that the book-market was never so bad in London
as during this period; for, in addition to the above illustration, and
at about the same time, Isaac Vossius came over to this country with a
quantity of literary property, some of which had belonged to his learned
father, in the hopes of selling it; but he 'carried them back into
Holland,' where 'a quicker mercate' was expected.

III.

[Illustration: _Archbishop Usher._]

_Sic transit gloria mundi_ might well be the motto of a History of
Book-Collectors, for in by far the majority of cases great private
libraries have been formed in one generation by genuine bookworms, only
to be scattered in the next by needy legatees or in consequence of
impoverished estates. There can be no doubt that several famous
libraries have derived their origin from the mere vanity of emulating a
fashionable pursuit. Into this matter, however, it is not necessary for
us to enter, except to hazard the suggestion that if the money had not
been spent in that direction it would doubtless have been squandered in
some less worthy and enduring manner. One of the most interesting and
valuable contributions to the history of private collections of the
seventeenth century is embedded in the long and entertaining letter
which John Evelyn addressed to Mr. Pepys in August, 1689. This letter is
so accessible that it may seem superfluous to quote any part of it; but
a few of the leading points are necessary to the p