ACCOUNTS, &C., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 1] 



Music, Broadsides, Songs, Parliamentary Papers, and other miscellaneous Items ; the 

 addition of this number to those already given produces a total of 74,13:^ articles 

 received in the Department. 



(y. ) The number of stamps Impressed upon articles received h altogether 327,838. 



Among the more remarkable acquisitions of the year may be noted : — 



" Godly Meditations upon the Lords prayer, the beleefe, and ten eomaundemets : with 

 many comfortable pralers and excersises gathered by M. John Bradford in the time of 

 his imprisonment. London, J. Allde, 1578." This is the first complete edition (as far 

 as they were printed) of the Meditations of the Martyr John Bradford, the friend and 

 chaplain of Bishop Ridley. It is believed to be unique. 



Seven small Spanish works of the first part of the 16th Century, which are all believed 

 to be unique. The most curious of these Is a Mystery In verse by Bartholome Palau, 

 entitled, " Custodia del Hombre," printed at Astorga in 1547, and 30 years earlier than 

 any other book known to have been printed in that city. Another work of interest is, 

 " La Instituijion de la muy estrecha y no menos observate orden de Cartuxa y de la vida 

 tlel excelete doctor Sant Bruno primero Cartuxano," printed at Seville in 1520, a work 

 hitherto unknown. There is also a curious legend, ' La Vida de Sant Alexo," printed 

 at Seville in 1520. 



A copy of the first edition of Bunyan's " Pilgrim's Progress " printed In 1678. This Is 

 one of the rarest of English books. Even In so recent a publication as the 9th edition of 

 the " Encyclopaedia Britannica," it is stated (1876) that " Not a single copy of the first 

 edition Is known to be In existence." There are, however, tliree other copies which are 

 now known, one of which, that In the Lenox Llbraiy, is imperfect. The copy just 

 acquired is perfect, and in very good condition. 



An extremely rare book, entitled, " Kaetspeel," or the Grame of Tennis moralised, 

 pi'in ted at Delft In 1498. This work was translated from a French MS. into Flemish, 

 by Jan van den Berghe, and was first pi'Inted at Louvain in 1477. Of this first edition 

 only two copies are known, one being in the National Library at Paris, and the other in 

 Lord Spencer's Collection at Althorp. The second edition, to which the copy acquired 

 belongs, Is equally rare, there being only one other copy known, which Is in the Library 

 of the Duke of Aremberg, at Brussels. 



An edition of the Hebrew text of Isaiah and Jeremiah, with the Commentary of Rabbi 

 KImchi, printed at Lisbon in 1492. This Is a book of great rarity, and of importance In 

 the history of Hebrew typography. A Hebrew printing office was established at Lisbon 

 in 1489, which seems to have been the first Introduction of the printing art Into that city ; 

 the total niunber of books printed at it amounts only to six, of which the Avork just acquired 

 is one, and Hebrew printing seems to have been finally discontinued in Lisbon with the 

 year 1492. 



A collection of 33 English Black Letter Ballads, chiefly non-jjolltlcal, of the time of the 

 Protectorate. Of the 33 ballads Mr. Ebsworth states that 25 are absolutely unique, and 

 the otiiers contain variations, either in the text or woodcuts, from the editions extant In 

 the Roxburgh, Pepysian, and other collections. The dates range from 1651 to 1655, and 

 many of them bear the initials of the authors. 



A considerable number of fine books were purchased at the sale of a further portion of 

 the DIdot Library. Amongst those of interest may be mentioned : An Ambroslan 

 Psalter : " Psalterlum David Secundum ordinem Sancti Ambrosil," printed at Milan in 

 1486, by Leonard us Pachel and Ulricus Scinzenzeller, A rare and fine edition of the 

 " Speculum Vitge humane " of Roderlcus Sancius, printed at Rome by J. P. de Lignamlne, 

 In 1473. " Le Recueil des histolres de Troye," Lyon, Denys, 1548 : a very rare and 

 cui'IouR edition, with remarkable engravings. An extremely rare edition of the Satires of 

 Horace and Juvenal, published together at Paris, In 1498, by Jean Petit, and jH'inted by 

 Georg Wolff and Thielman Kerver. A series of portraits of great military commanders : 

 " RItratti et Elogii di Capltani Illustri," Roma, 1635, having on the sides the arms of 

 Madame de Pompadour. 



At the sale of the Library of M. Vergauwen at Brussels, upwards of 60 books printed 

 by early Dutch and Flemish printers were acquired, besides a considerable number of 

 later works on the history and antiquities of the Low Countries. 



A Collection of early printed books fi om Japan and Corea. It comprises about 900 

 volumes, and Is of great interest with reference to early block printing, and even early 

 printing with moveable types, as the art seems to have been j^ractlsed in Corea, at a date 

 considerably anterior to that assigned to the earliest book printed in Europe. 



George Bullen. 



0.73- B 2 



