Page:The Life of William Morris.djvu/736

ÆT. 61] There is a sale at Sotheby's this week, and I am just going up there, though I don't expect much in my way. I expect to meet Mr. James there with the two leaves from the Fitzwilliam."

On the 23rd he continues: "As the history of sales seems to interest you, hear a tale of the Phillips sale, of which to-day is the third day. Two books I bid for. A 13th century Aristotelian book with three very pretty initials, but imperfect top and tail; I put ₤15 on this with many misgivings as to my folly—hi! it fetched £50!! A really pretty little book, Gregory's Decretals, with four or five very tiny illuminations; I took a fancy to it and put ₤40 on it, expecting to get it for ₤25—ho!! it fetched ₤96!!! Rejoice with me that I have got 82 MSS., as clearly I shall never get another. I have duly got my two leaves, and beauties they are."

The two leaves mentioned in these letters have an interesting history attached to them. In the previous July Morris had bought for upwards of ₤400—the highest price he had ever then paid for a book—an English Book of Hours written about 1300 in East Anglia, and containing the arms of Grey and Clifford. It was subsequently found that two missing leaves from this manuscript were in the Fitzwilliam Museum at Cambridge. After long negotiations, it was agreed that Morris should sell his book to the museum for ₤200, and in return have the possession of it and of the two leaves belonging to it for his own lifetime. He had the leaves inserted in their places, and the manuscript remained one of his chief treasures. After his death it went to Cambridge, where it is now.

Notwithstanding the great rise in prices, a tine painted book was always worth more to Morris than it cost: and within the next two months he had added two