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bard ” is this entry : “ This book of the Sentences belongs toMaster Robert, archdeacon of Lincoln, which he bought ofGeoffry, the chaplain, brother of Henry, the vicar of NorthElkington, in the presence of Master Robert de Lee; MasterJohn, of Larling; Richard of Luda, clerk; Richard, thealmoner ; the said Henry, the vicar; and his clerk and others:and the said archdeacon gave the said book to God andSt. Oswald, and to Peter, abbot of Barton, and the convent ofBarden." The value of an early printed book may be disco-vered from the following circumstance : in January 1812,the Decameron of Boccacio, printed in 1471, was purchasedat the Duke of Roxburgh’s sale by the Marquis of Blandfordfor a62260.

The famous library established in the University of Oxford by that munificent patron of literature, Humphrey, Duke ofGloucester, contained only 600 volumes.

The first book ever printed was the Vulgate Bible in twovolumes, folio, in the year 1462; the second book was Cicerode Oificiis, in 1466. The first book in the English languagewas the Recuyel of the history of Troy, printed at Cologne,Sept. 19, 1471, and the first book printed in England was asmall Latin volume, called the “ Exposition of St. Jerome,”from the Oxford Press , dated 17th Dec. 1468. And the firstin the English language was on the game of chess in 1474.The first book printed in the French language was Le Jardinde Devotion in 1473. The earliest printed books have onlyimpressions on one side the leaf, the other being blank.

The earliest instance of a title-page in this country isnoticed in the work of “ Bartholomeus de ProprietatibusRerum,” printed by Wynkin about 1495. The earliest in-stance of figures placed beneath the title of the book occursin the “ Crafte to lyve well and dye well,” printed in 1505.The end of a book was sometimes marked with feliciterinstead of finis, and with a < called coronis, and the wholefrequently washed with an oil extracted from cedar, or citron