Books And Books.

We remember hearing of an illustrated edition of Mine , de Sevigne ' s Letters , on which the talents , toil , skill , ancl acumen of a long life ancl a remarkable intellect had been spent , and which either was sold for a large sum , or is still somewhere carefully preserved to delight the sight and heart of a connoisseur .

Among the cases cited in All the Year Bound are the followiug : — ANECDOTES , OBSERVATIONS , AND CHARACTERS or BOOKS AND MEN , collected from the Conversations of Mr . Pope , and other eminent persons of his time , by the Reverend Joseph Spence , edited with Notes and Memoir of the Author by S . W . Singer ; one volume folio , extended to three volumes , by a profuse collection of fine and rare mezzotint aud other engraved portraits and autograph letters , divided as follows : Vol . I . contains ' ninetyeight Portraits and Views , and a lino drawing of Shenstone ' s Portrait ( engraved as a

frontispiece to an edition of his works ) , and of Pope's Villa , and Twickenham Church , with Pope's Monument , etc ., and Autograph Letters , signed , of Pope , very fine ; Dr . Johnson , very fine ; Bishop Warburton , Horace Walpolc , MS . Verses addressed to Spencer , and Signatures to Documents of Sir Eobert Walpole , Wm . Congreve the Dramatist , and Louis the Fourteenth . Vol . II ., frontispiece , View of Pope ' s Villa , after J . M . W . Turner , by Pye , a splendid proof in the earliest state , before any letters , on India paper , very rare ; seventy-eight Portraits and Autograph Letter of the Duke of Buckingham , addressed to Pope , also his Signature to a document ; Dr . J . Wharten , Harley , Earl of

Oxford , the Earl of Peterborough , Eustace Budgell , and Signatures of George the Second when Prince of Wales , rare , also his signature when King ; the Marquis of Halifax , G . Stepney , and Sir Wm . Tnrnbull , aud Drawings of Milton's Monument , and Portrait of Sir T . More . Yol . III ., sixty-three Portraits , Autograph Letter of Lord Chancellor Cowper and Ralph Allen , and Signatures of the Duke of Newcastle , Duchess of Marlborough , Lord Godolphin , David Mallet , James the Second when Duke of York , Speaker Onslow ; Colley Gibber , Wilkes , aud Booth , to a paper relating to Drnry Lane Theatre , very rare ; appropriate Title-pages printed for this copy , richly bemud in red morocco extra , ornamented borders ou sides , gilt edges , by Riviere . 160 guineas .

EOMXEV ( George ) : A magnificent and unique copy of Hayloy ' s Life of this celebrated Artist ' inlaid and bound in five volumes , folio size , twenty-six and a-half inches by eighteen and a-half inches , and illustrated with a splendid collection of Portraits , Views , and Autograph Letters , including about eighty subjects engraved after Eomney ' s own Paintings , among which are a number of beautiful proof impressions of his exquisite Portraits of Lady Hamilton ; Titles anclan Index of contents printed expressly for this copy . Richly bound in red morocco extra , gold borders on sides , gilt edges , by Riviere . The price for the book in its new state is £ 350 .

THOMSON ( James ) , The Seasons , illustrated with beautiful engravings by Bartolozzi and Toinkins , from pictures painted for the work by W . Hamilton , R . A ., one volume , large folio , 1796 . Divided into four volumes as follows : Vol I ., Spring , illustrated with fifty-three extra Engravings ancl two Drawings . Vol . II ., Summer , illustrated with sixty-four extra Engravings and six Drawings . Vol . III ., Autumn , illustrated with sixty-eight extra Engravings and one Drawing ; Vol . IV ., illustrated with thirty - seven extra Engravings and one Drawing- ; making altogether two hundred and twenty-two extra Engravings rind ten Drawings . The Engravings comprise a most

charming and beautiful Collection of the choicest description of subjects iu Mezzotint , line Engravings , and the Bartolozzi School , illustrating Occupations , Amusements , Sports , Pleasures , and other various attributes of the Seasons , aucient aud modern , by and after Hollar , Golt' / . ins , Wntleaii , Laucret , Boucher , Heaine , Hamilton , Constable , Collins , Bartolozzi , Wheatley , Gainsborough , Singleton , Woollett , Yivares , J . M . W . Turner , Landseer , etc ., etc ., and line Etchings of Landscapes by Waterloo and Striitt , all brilliant impressions , many being choice proofs before letters . Among the Drawings is a very fine one in water-colours b 11 . HillsSir W . C . Rossetc . and two line ones iu

y , , , very Indian Ink by John Martin ; the whole forming a most delightful collection of subjects , illustrative of this charming descriptive poem . The four volumes arc splendidly bound in green morocco extra , the sides beautifully ornamented aud lined with cream-coloured paper , with rich gold borders , gilt edges , by Riviere , rendering this one of the most sumptuous and magnificent copies ever offered for sale . £ 240 .

We also constantly pore over the remarkable catalogues of Messrs . White ancl Ellis , Quaritch , E . W . Stebbs , Kerslake , Pickering , and many more , ancl can recall several similar interesting announcements . We take the following from a catalogue of J . Salkeld , 1 , Orange Street , lied Lion Scpiare , for instance . How interesting it sounds , does it not ?—