Acquisitions to Gore Hall Library

At a recent auction sale in New York the Library was able to buy, by means of the Dane gift, some twenty-five English plays. Among the more important of these may be mentioned: Marlowe's "Famous Tragedy of the Rich Jew of Malta," 1633, first edition; Beaumont and Fletcher's "Knight of the Burning Pestle," 1635, second edition; Davenant's "Siege of Rhodes," 1670; Dryden's "Tempest," 1670, first edition, "Tyrannick Love," 1670, first edition, and "King Arthur," 1691, first edition, with the prologue and epilogue which are not in the edition of the same date already in the Library; Shadwell's "Sullen Lovers," 1690, and "Humorists," 1691. From English dealers the Library has lately bought with the same gift the following plays: Massinger's "Great Duke of Florence," 1636, and "City Madame," 1659; Shirley's "Changes," 1632, "Triumph of Peace," 1633, "Traytor," 1635, "Gamester," 1637, "Grateful Servant," 1637 and 1655, "Royal Master," 1638, "Maid's Revenge," 1639, "Constant Maid," 1640, "Humorous Courtier," 1640, and "Brothers," 1652; and the "Mall," 1674, a play attributed to Dryden. The latter, together, with the "Hind and the Panther," 1687, also lately bought, gives the Library an almost complete series of the first editions of all of Dryden's works. Many later editions of the most of the works make the Dryden collection unusually complete. Of interest in connection with this collection are several volumes of poems by Richard Flecknoe lately acquired.

Another field in which important additions are now being made is French history. Through the generosity of Assistant Professor Coolidge and by means of a special appropriation the Library is able to devote $2000 to buying books on this subject. A first instalment of the books has already been received and more will come in the course of the spring. In order to accommodate them properly on the shelves the whole section of French history will be re-classified and re-numbered.

An unusually interesting example of early printing has just been purchased with the Norton fund; it is Eusebiu's "De Praeparatione Evangelica," printed by Nicolas Jenson in Venice in 1470, and is one of the earliest and possibly the first of the books issued from this press.

Two other incunabula have lately been bought with the gift of Mr. Alain C. White: namely, Vergil, with the commentary of Servius Honoratus, Venice, printed by Jacobus Rubeus, 1475, and Petrach, Gli Triompi, Venice, Bartholomeus di Zanis, 1497.