The Library

"Imprynted by me, Robert Wyer, dwellinge in St. Martyn Parysshe, in the felde besyde Charynge Crosse," or some such vague description. But, at any rate, it brings us nearer to the truth, and in course of time there is no reason why many others should not be cleared from the mists of doubt that hover round them.

To pass now to another matter respecting Robert Wyer, about which error and ignorance have long lingered. At the time of the late revision of Ames' work, the latest date found in any book printed by Wyer was 1542, and the work was Vaughan's Dialogue defensive of Women. It was, therefore, assumed that he died, or at all events ceased to print in that year.

There is abundance of evidence, however, to prove that such was not the case, that, in fact, he was printing as late as the year 1556, and it was not until the year 1560 that he was succeeded at the sign of the St. John the Evangelist, by Thomas Colwell, a freeman of the newly-formed Stationers' Company. There are Almanacs and Prognostications for the years 1555 and 1556. In another book there is an author's preface dated from Thavies Inn, Holborn, 1550. Again, he is found printing for a brother craftsman, Richard Kele, of the Long shoppe in the Poultry, whose earliest dated work was 1545.

Here, then, we have a life-work of thirty years. That it was a busy life is proved beyond a doubt by the number of works that have come down to us from his press, for it must be remembered that printing was a much longer process then than it is to-day.

Passing these works in review, and noting their varied character, the style of the printing and the quality of the paper, it is not hard to form a theory respecting Robert Wyer and his work. Herbert somewhat contemptuously dubbed him a printer for the ballad stalls.

True, we do not find sumptuous Bibles, or choice editions of Chaucer turned out by Wyer. He was the printer for the people and all honour to him for it. Most of his publications were little brochures, roughly printed, coarsely bound and illustrated with rude woodcuts, but they shew us what were the books that were read in the sixteenth century by the general public. Instead of treating them and their printer as beneath notice or remembrance, they should attract attention as specimens of a very curious literature.

All was grist that came to the mill of Robert Wyer. Astronomy, botany, geography, divinity, medicine, a romance, a play, with a sprinkling of law and history.

Moreover, the knowledge conveyed through these little volumes was the best that could be found in those days. The astronomy came from the writings of Aristotle and Ptolemy; the botany included Macer's Herball; in geography the name of Ptolemy is met with again. The authors in divinity included Thomas à Kempis, Martin Luther, William Hunnis, and lesser men, such as Richard Whytforde, brother of Sion and Friar Garard of the Order of Observants. In medicine, the name of the great physician of the day, Andrew Borde, stands out prominently as the author of The Dietary of Helthe, The Boke to Lerne a Man to be Wyse in Buyldynge of his Howse, and The Seeing of Urines.

As an instance of how misleading a printer's error may be, it may be noted here that Herbert, in his addition of Ames', declared that he had in his possession a copy of The Dietary of Helthe printed by Thomas Colwell in 1542. It has already been shown that Colwell did not succeed Wyer until 1560, and the copy in question was not printed until 1562.

Amongst Wyer's publications are several "curiosities of literature." Foremost amongst these must be ranked a work bearing the following title:-Here begynneth a lytell boke of the xxiiii. stones pryncipelles that profyteth most to man's body. After reciting the 24 stones it goes on to relate some of the most astonishing fables respecting their origin and discovery.

Then again there is the Treatyse Answerynge the Boke of Berdes, compyled by Collyn Cloute, dedycated to Barnarde Barber dwellynge in Banbery. On the last leaf are the words, " Barnes in the defence of the Berde."

Wyer, however, did not confine himself to ballad or stall literature, and he turned out one or two works, that for clearness of type, &c., were equal to anything turned out by the brethren of the craft in Fleet Street. As a specimen of printing in the 16th century his copy of The Defence of Peace, a work translated by William Marshall from Marsilius de Padua, may justly take rank as a very fine work.

It is clear, from the above rough sketch of his work, that Robert Wyer was by no means an obscure man, but deserves to rank as high as many of his contemporaries, and it is much to be regretted that so little is known of his personal history. As

one of the few printers who worked at the West End of London, long after Wynkyn de Worde had settled within Temple Bar, he certainly deserves notice in any work that professes to be a history of London.

HENRY R. PLOMER.

Book Sales, 1744-1828.

THE first of the long series of auctions by the old-established firm now flourishing with undiminished vigour under the respected names of "Sotheby, Wilkinson, and Hodge," is that of the library of Thomas Pellet, M.D., in 1744, by Samuel Baker, after whose death, in 1778, the business was carried on by George Leigh, who had been for the last six years associated with him. In 1780 Mr. John Sotheby, Baker's nephew, was taken into partnership, and twenty years later, viz., in 1800, his son, Samuel Sotheby, joined the firm. The elder Sotheby died November 1st, 1807, having retired some four years previously, as his name does not appear (in any catalogue later than 1803; and from 1804 to 1816 the business was continued under the firm of "Leigh and S. Sotheby," and after the death of Mr. Leigh by Samuel Sotheby alone until 1830, when he was joined by his son Samuel Leigh Sotheby, who died June 19th, 1861, having been in partnership since the year 1843 with Mr. John Wilkinson, the present head of the firm of "Sotheby, Wilkinson and Hodge," the last named gentleman having, after some years' service in the house, become a partner in 1864.

The following selection from a list, in my possession, of nearly one thousand catalogues, comprises, in alphabetical order, all the more important and interesting libraries which have fallen under the hammers of Samuel Baker and his successors down to the end of the year 1828.