DEPARTMENT OF PRINTED BOOKS. 23 



Pui'cliases of German and Netherland books have not been 

 numerous, but include three of especial interest : Soliloquium 

 venerabilis Bonaventurse [Strasburg, about 1470] ; Ursulen 

 Schifflin [Strasburg, 1486], the first edition of the Legend 

 of St. Ursula ; and Gemma Frisius De Principiis Astronomiae 

 et Cosmographiae, Lovanii et Antverpiae, 1530, written 

 to illustrate a set of globes, now lost ; only two other 

 copies of the book itself are known, both in public libraries A 

 German translation of Apuleius, 1538; and Pellicarius, Der 

 heiligen Aposteln AnkunflPt, Wittenberg, 1531, are remarkable 

 for their illustrations. 



Among purchases of exceptional literary interest are that of 

 the edition of the Eikon Basilike regarded by Mr. Almack as 

 the first ; of the extremely rare first American edition of 

 Burns, Philadelphia, 1788 ; and of the first editions of Moliere's 

 George Dandin, Monsieur de Pourceaugnac, and Les Femmes 

 Savantes. 



The most remarkable addition to the library in early 

 English literature is one of a set of poetical productions 

 of the greatest rarity, and indeed most probably unique ; 

 George Tooke's " Belides," " Eagle Trusser," " Ann?e Dicata," 

 " Tragedie of Floris," " Legend of Britomart," very singular 

 poems, privately printed in 1647. Turberville's " Tragical 

 Tales," printed by Abel Jeffs, London, 1597, is also highly 

 interesting ; and other valuable acquisitions are Mathias 

 Brothyel's Pronostycacyon, 1545 ; All the examinacions 

 of the Constante Martir of God, M. John Bradforde, 1561 ; 

 Calvin's Short Instruction against the pestiferous errors of 

 Anabaptistes, 1549; and Godwin's Melissa Pontificia, 1620. 



The principal collections acquired by purchase comprise one 

 of 135 editions of the Imitatio Christi ; a number of proclama- 

 tions and other broadsides issued at Naples before and after 

 the revolt of Masaniello ; proclamations of the time of Charles 

 the Second, and broadsides of a later date relating chiefly to 

 trade and industry ; and tracts concerning the civil wars in 

 France in the early part of the seventeenth century. 



Several very interesting curiosities have also been acquired. 

 The most important is Home Tooke's Journal during his 

 imprisonment in the Tower, kept upon the blank leaves of 

 an interleaved copy of his " Diversions of Purley," which also 

 contain numerous philological notes and corrections for the 

 forthcoming edition. Upon being transferred to Newgate, 

 Tooke characteristically discontinued the journal. Very 

 curious, too, is Voltaire's " Discours en vers " on the events 

 of the year 1744, in three states — as a manuscript in the 

 writing of his secretary, as a proof, and as published ; all 

 with corrections in Voltaire's hand. A somewhat similar 

 curiosity is " La Creation d'Eve ' by Patris ; including in 

 one cover the unique vellum copy, one of the two printer! 

 on tinted paper, and one of the ordinary copies, of which 



0.125. B 4 not 



