Old Books.

of sympathy and appreciation with which the noble authoress has always been regarded as England's earliest poetess . Tho typographical peculiarities of the work have always engaged the keen attention of bibliophiles and collectors ; while from a philological point of view the Boke of St . Albans opens up many difficult and curious questions and gives us a most valuable example of the transition period of our language , when there was still in common use a very large infusion of French words , also of words and terminations of words which are now obsolete , or only found in local dialects . ' The

early popularity of The Boke of St . Albans is evidenced by the number of editions which were printed between the date of its first appearance and the end of the 16 th century : in various sizes and with variations in its title , the work was reprinted eight times . The rarity of all these at the present day is the best indication of the extent to which the book has been handled and read during the past 200 years of its existence . No attempt has hitherto been made to reproduce the work in facsimile ; but Mr . Hazelwood , in the year 1810 , reprinted toe text in modern type and appended to it a very exhaustive prefacein which all that is known of The Boke of St . Albans ( and a good deal more ) is

, recorded at great length and with much circumstance . This reprint has become very rare , and has been sought for eagerly by collectors , many paying several years ago as much as £ 15 15 s . for a copy in fair condition . The publisher has been for a long time engaged in producing a facsimile of The Boke of St . Albans , and having now completed the work , has much pleasure in submitting it to those collectors and bibliophiles who appreciate the issue of such rarities . The reproduction has been made by photography from the copy in the British Museum ; it is printed from metal blocks on rough handmade paper , with rough edges , similar to that used in the 15 th centuiy , all the quaint

air and antique appearance of the original being preserved . The binding is vellnm , of contemporary pattern , and carries out the characteristic aspect of the books of the 15 th century . A very interesting and exhaustive introduction by Mr . William Blades , author of " The Life and Typography of Caxton , " prefaces the facsimile , in which the Authorship , Typography , Bibliography , Subject Matter , and Philology are very fully and authoritatively treated . The present reprint will form a necessary companion volume to The Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle , by Juliana Berners , recently issued , and with which it is uniform in size and style of production ,,- the reception accorded to that work leads the publisher to believe that the present reprint will be gladly received by those who appreciate our early literature , and who are interested in its reproduction in facsimile in the present day .

THE TBEATYSE OF FYSSHYNGE WITH AN ANGLE , by Dame Juliana Berners . A facsimile reproduction of the first edition , printed by Wynkyn de Worde , at Westminster , in 1496 ; with an introduction by the Eev . M . G . Watkins . —The extreme rarity of this work , and the great interest taken in it by connoisseurs , has suggested to the publisher the advisability of producing a facsimile reprint for the use of those collectors and anglers who can never hope to possess the almost priceless original . The present facsimile is reproduced from a copy of the original edition in the British Museum , by means of photographand consequently renders every peculiarity of the oriinal in faithful

y , g detail ; the rude illustrations which adorned the first edition of this " lytyll plaunflet " are here given in all their quaint roughness . The work is printed on hand-made paper of the same texture and colour as that on which the first edition appeared , and the binding is of contemporary pattern and material , so that the reader of to-day in handling this volume can realize the form , and appearance of the original , which must have delighted the eyes of those who studied " treatyses perteynynge to dyuers playsauut matters belongynge vnto noblesse . "

If we open one of Mr . Quaritch's striking catalogues we find to our astonishment what are the prices that great bookseller asks for ancient literature . 53 . THE WIGMORE PSALTEB . —Psalterium , cum Precibus et Calendario . Small 4 to . Illuminated Manuscript on Vellum , by an English calligrapher , several pages decorated with beautiful painted borders , numerous elegant initials , in the first of which there is a Miniature of King David , in the original binding mended , enclosed in a morocco case , £ 36 . ciTca A . D . 1440 . On the six blank' pages preceding the Calendar there are six finely painted Coats of Arms of the Wigmore and allied families , evidently done by the original scribe or some one very near his time . Another page bears the following inscriptions : — " 1535 . Rychard Wygmor owythe this boke . " — " Thomas Wigmore , Eiohardi filius ao . Dni . 1565 . "

54 . PECOCK ( Bishop Reginald ) . —Outdrawzt fro jje first pti of jje . . Donet of Christen Religion . Early English Manuscript on Vellum , finely written about 1440 . ISIDORE , pese be jje gaderid Coiicels of Seint Ysidre to enforme ma , how he schuld fie vicis & use vtuis . Considacioii of a man hisilf . Earl y English Manuscript on Vellnm , with extracts from St . Austin and moral sentences in English verse at the end , about 1440 .