[Enemies of Books by William Blades]@TWC D-Link bookEnemies of Books CHAPTER V 4/16
Not being able to read the Colophon, he took it to an equally ignorant stationer, and offered it to him for a guinea, at which price he declined it, but proposed that it should be exposed in his window as a means of eliciting some information about it.
It was accordingly placed there with this label, 'Very old curious work.' A collector of books went in and offered half-a-crown for it, which excited the suspicion of the vendor.
Soon after Mr.Bird, Vicar of Gainsborough, went in and asked the price, wishing to possess a very early specimen of printing, but not knowing the value of the book.
While he was examining it, Stark, a very intelligent bookseller, came in, to whom Mr.Bird at once ceded the right of pre-emption.
Stark betrayed such visible anxiety that the vendor, Smith, declined setting a price. Soon after Sir C.Anderson, of Lea (author of Ancient Models), came in and took away the book to collate, but brought it back in the morning having found it imperfect in the middle, and offered L5 for it.
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