Motley- Value of a "First" Edition. 137 



who, as I have at some length noticed 

 in my edition of Walton, was indebted to 

 Oldys for most of the information given 

 in the Lives of both Walton and Cotton. 

 From this extract we find that the 

 market value of a copy of the first edition 

 of Walton was about ^4 45. in 1816. 

 What is the value of it now ? From a 

 catalogue sent to me recently by Messrs. 

 Pickering & Chatto, 66, Haymarket, 

 London, containing an advertisement of 

 a first edition of Walton, I quote the 

 following : 



"We here offer a PERFECT COPY of this 

 precious little gem, for every page is genuine, 

 and there is not so much as a page in fac- 

 simile. The last perfect copy brought by 

 auction ^310, and the present one we con- 

 sider to be reasonably priced. The above is 

 the first issue of first edition, and contains 

 the misprint on page 245, 'contention' for 

 1 contentment.' " 



" Fair first editions, duly prized, 

 Above them all, methinks, I rate 

 The tome where Walton's hand revised 

 His wonderful receipts for bait." 



ANDREW LANG. 



The price asked was ^235. All good 

 " Waltons " go to America. Messrs. 

 Pickering & Chatto have since informed 

 me they sold this fine copy to an American 

 collector. 



