OF THE

Library, Manuscripts, Autograph Letters,

Maps and Prints

FORMING THE COLLECTION OF

GERALD E. HART, Esq.,

OF MONTREAL,

AUTHOR OF "FALL OF NEW FRANCE," EX-PRESIDENT OF THE SOCIETY
FOR HISTORICAL STUDIES, MONTREAL, ETC.

FORMING AN EXTRAORDINARY ASSEMBLAGE OF RARITIES, AND COMPRISING
RARE AMERICANA, SCARCE BLACK LETTER BOOKS, ILLUMINATED MSS.,
RARE FRENCH BELLES LETTRES, EDITIO PRINCEPS OF VALUABLE
WORKS, BOOKS FROM PROVENANCES ILLUSTRES AND BOUND BY
MASTER BINDERS, EARLY CANADIAN IMPRINTS, RARE
AND VALUABLE COLLECTIONS OF PORTRAITS, RARE
HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS RELATING TO CANADA,
AUTOGRAPH LETTERS OF THE SOVEREIGNS OF
FRANCE AND ENGLAND, ETC., ETC.

TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION,

Tuesday and following days,

April 15th to 19th, 1890,

Tuesday at 2 o'clock, and the following days at 10 and 2 o'clock.

NOTE.

The true bibliophile wil recognize in the Hart Library, even from a casual perusal of the catalogue, a collection of great importance, containing treasures seldom found, even in great European private libraries, and it would seem superfluous to call attention to any of the many desirable items. The collection is rich in artistic and literary treasures which appeal to the taste, not only of the bibliophile and bibliopegist, but also to the collector of objects of true art, and to the seeker after rarities in general.

Foremost among the many treasures is the collection of historical and artistic bindings which form a very important division of the Hart Library, these bindings, being the individual handiwork of the artists, are certainly worthy specimens for a fine Art Museum, the first masters of the fifteenth century and later periods, as the Clovis family, Le Gascon, Du Seuil, Boyet and others, being represented by remarkable examples. The Provenances Illustres found in this division include books of the greatest rarity from the collections of Diana de Poitiers, Catherine de Medicis, Marguerite de Valois, Edward VI, Francis II, Charles I, Maioli, Colbert and other celebrities, and are worthy of especial attention.

Recent sales of early Americana prove that this branch of literature is meeting due appreciation among collectors and librarians, but we wish to specially mention the Canadiana in the present catalogue. It includes books from the first printers throughout Canada, and although to the American collector they may appear of comparatively late date, when it is considered that no printing press existed in Montreal prior to 1776, the numerous books included in this collection printed before 1820, or even before 1840, in Canada, must be reckoned among rarities.

The collection of autographs contains many original documents of the greatest rarity and of political and historic interest bearing on the history of Canada, especially during the French Dominion, covering almost the entire range from Roberval, the discoverer, 1542, to Vaudreuil, the last French Governor, as also specimens of the Sovereigns of France and England, Luther, Melanchton, Ferdinand and Isabella, and many others of equal value.

As usual in our catalogues, the arrangement is mainly alphabetical, with the exception of a few especially interesting groups, as Bindings, the French and English War of 1755-60, Canadian Laws and Imprints, the Canadian Rebellion of 1837, War of 1812, Maps, Autograph Letters and Historical Documents, Portraits and Prints.

C. F. LIBBIE & CO.