"FOR Friends, although your lordship be scant, yet I hope you are not altogether destitute; if you be, do but look upon good books: they are true friends, that will neither flatter nor dissemble: be you but true to yourself, applying that which they teach unto the party grieved, and you shall need no other comfort nor counsel. To them and to God's holy Spirit, directing you in the reading of them, I commend your lordship."-BACON to Chief Justice Coke. CATALOGUE OF MY ENGLISH LIBRARY COLLECTED AND DESCRIBED BY HENRY STEVENS, G. M.B. F. S. A. LITERARY AGENT IN LONDON OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. I will buy with you, sell with you, SHAKESPEARE. LONDON: Printed by C. WHITTINGHAM, Nov. 1853. For Private Distribution. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. F you are troubled with a pride of accuracy, and would have it completely taken out of you, print a catalogue. There is at present in the United States a great rage for splendid private libraries. To appease this I have had, of late, many calls upon my time, from my book-loving countrymen to assist them in making their purchases. Hence it occurred to me that I might save myself much labour, and at the same time, render an important service to American book collectors generally, by preparing a Catalogue to be put into their hands, comprising a few thousand volumes of the best editions of the principal standard English Authors. Accordingly I have endeavoured to make such a selection from the multitude of poets, dramatists, historians, philosophers, metaphysicians, essayists, etc. from the earliest to the present time, as may form the basis of a good miscellaneous library. How well I have succeeded you will see by casting your quick eye over the following pages. First let me tell you that it was intended not to exceed four thousand volumes, and the list was designed merely to assist in the selection of an American Gentle b 443045 |