DR. KOHL, relative to localities along the Eastern Coast of N. J., which were obtained from the Coast Survey in Washington, with Dr. K.'s notes of early maps referring to the Province, illustrated by tracings of some of them. Some of the maps referred to are in the possession of the Society, and with others from the private library of Mr. Whitehead, were also exhibited. Captain W. S. BOUDINOT presented a photograph and a rare print of Washington, when President of the Convention, in 1787. Miscellany. THE ALLAN LIBRARY.-The principal event of the last month, in a bibliographical sense, has been the sale of the curious collection of books, engravings, and knick-knacks, which the late John Allan left as evidences of his perseverance as a book-hunter, his taste as an illustrator, and his unconquerable love of his native Scotlandlove which not even his seventy years' residence in this city could overcome, or even sensibly diminish. From Captain CHARLES S. BOGGS, U. S. N., was received a valuable donation of manuscripts, about one hundred in number, many of them of several folio sheets, connected with events in New Jersey between 1733 to 1808, papers which Of Mr. Allan himself nothing need be said in belonged to Robert Hunter Morris, Chief Jus- this place, so well was he known while living tice, etc., and Robert Morris, Judge of U. S. to every collector in the country. District Court. Among the later documents Of the Collection itself, were we to say that it were the original packages, unopened, containing was just such a one as any man, possessing the electoral votes of New Jersey, in 1800, for such a character as that which we have quoted, Thomas Jefferson as President, and C. C. Pinck- might reasonably be expected to collect, we ney as Vice-President; and in 1808, for James might leave the subject. It was simply a collecMadison as President, and George Clinton as tion of odds and ends,-books, engravings, miVice-President. These were the triplicate pack-nerals, costumes, snuff-boxes, old china, old ages which, as directed by the constitution, were armor, shoe-buckles, old watches, etc., without deposited with the District Judge, the others any apparent object beyond the mere collection having been forwarded to Washington at the of them, and with no other aim than the mere time. The commission of the electors who cast possession of them. Not even his own beloved the vote of the State for Washington in 1792, Scotland could induce him to make her a specialunder the great seal of the State, was also among ité; while America, his home for much the the papers. These memorials of other days and greater portion of his life, attracted so little of their political parties, which had so long re- his attention, that it appears to have been a submained undisturbed, were regarded with lively ject of minor importance to him. So far from interest by all present; the venerable presiding the collection having been a useful one in any officer of the Society stating that he had made department of knowledge, we venture to say one of the interested throng that witnessed the that no student, in any department, would have administration of the oath of office to Washing- remained in its owner's library a day for the ton. single purpose of gathering information- he The Society then listened with much satisfac- would have stayed much longer, it is probable, tion to a paper of the Rev. JOHN PROUDFOOT, to enjoy the genial society of the venerable man, D.D., "On Early Confederacies and Our Own," to look at things which were rare and curious, in which an interesting review was given of the and to gather from the spirited descriptions of peculiar features of the Italian, Grecian, Ger"Old New York," by Mr. Allan himself, an inmanic, Hollandic, and other federations, as com- sight into the society and manners of the city in pared with our own, and showing the superior- the beginning of this century, an accurate detail ity of the latter. It exhibited a very thorough of the family connexions of our older families, acquaintance with the subject, and its reading and a graphic description of events which are occupied about an hour. The Society then adjourned, and the remainder of the afternoon was passed by the members in examining the books and objects of interest in the library. remembered only by the few, and appreciated only by even a smaller number. The illustrated works, on which Mr. Allan had spent much time and money, and on which he greatly prided himself, afforded fewer evidences of his taste and good judgment as an artist than many had expected; and among the more experienced book-collectors and illustrators the disappointment was extended and freely expressed. Of the Catalogue, which was prepared by Joseph Sabin, of Philadelphia, with the assist ance of several others, much complaint was made, and not without reason. The exaggerations as well as the inaccuracies of description with which that portion which described the books abounded, were particularly noticeable; the announcement on the title, and at the close of the volume, that Mr. Sabin was the only person who was entitled to any credit for the preparation of any portion of the catalogue except the covers, gave offence to those who were acquainted with the services which were rendered by several of Mr. Allan's intimate personal friends, by whom, we believe, the engravings, minerals, coins, and other property-the books excepted-were exclusively catalogued. The strange use of Latin words, and blundering application of them, exceed anything that we ever met. Of the Sule itself we could say much more than our space will allow-in the language of a gentleman who is fully qualified to speak of its peculiarities, "there has been nothing to compare with it since the world began." The salesman, Mr. Merwin, discharged his delicate duties, in the struggle between buyers, with his accustomed patient good-nature; and the proceeds of the sale will prove that his efforts were not without their reasonable result. The number of bidders in attendance was not large; the number of those whom those bidders represented was probably much greater. The prevailing fashion of purchasing at auction through brokers, while it tends to diminish the number of those who attend such sales, and serves to afford a living to several worthy men who act in a representative capacity, serves also to make the auction-room a less agreeable place of resort for collectors than it once was, prevents the formation of many a desirable personal acquaintance among book-buyers, and assimilates the occupation of a book-collector to that of a gambler in stocks at that soulless concern known as the Board of Brokers. Could Royal Gurley have dropped in at the sale which is under consideration, he would have failed to recognise more than one or two faces among the buyers; while the brilliant sallies of poor John Keese would have fallen still-born among the audience which attended the Allan sale; an audience among whom the amount of brokerage to be realized on the purchase of the several lots which were offered was vastly more important, in many cases, than the intrinsic value of the lots themselves, either to the bidders' principals or to any other person. The bidding, among such an audience, may be easily understood; there has, indeed, "been nothing to compare with it since the world began." Those among the bidders who represented them selves only, were compelled, in many cases, to abandon the contest which the brokers made over the greater number of the lots; in other cases, where the volume was considered a necessity, they also rushed into the fight, and battled for the prize. Our readers will not be surprised to learn, under these considerations, that the "Account of the Banquet given by the St. Nicholas Society of the City of New York, on the Occasion of the Visit of the Dutch Frigate Prins van Orange,' May, 1852,"- -a mere pamphlet-brought $22.50; "Alden's American Epitaphs," $13.75; Barlow's Columbiad," quarto, $30; Bartlett's "Destruction of the Gaspee," $6; Bryant's 'Address on Irving," illustrated, $37.50; the first edition of Burns's "Poems," $106; Cheetham's "Life of Paine," illustrated, $11; Coleman's "Collection of Facts relative to the Death of Gen. Hamilton," illustrated, $25; "Cromwelliana," illustrated, $80; Dawson and Davis's "Reminiscences of the Park," $15; Dibdin's "Bibliomania," illustrated, $720; "The Croakers," Bradford Club's edition, $25; Dunlap's "Arts of Design," $15; "Life of General Eaton," $5; "The Echo," $12; Eliot's Indian Bible, $825; Doctor Francis's Address on " New York, during the last Haf Century," extended and illustrated, $150; Freneau's Poems," Monmouth edition, $10; Holgate's "American Genealogy," $15; Ingraham's "Capture of Washington," $8; Irving's Knickerbocker's New York, extended, and with 265 plates inserted, $1,250; another copy, extended and with 107 plates inserted, $400; the same, London, 1821, $55; Irving's Washington, quarto, $275; Josselyn's "Voyages to New England," title in fac-simile, $27; Josselyn's "New England's Rarities Discovered," $40; Livermore's "Historical Research," large paper, $12; Lossing's "Field Book," $15; Melvin's "Journal," $20; Miller's "New York," London edition, $4; Moore's "Treason of Charles Lee," $4; Morton's "New England's Memorial," MS. title, $40; "Papers on Hatfield and Deerfield," Bradford Club's edition, $11; Commodore Porter's Journal," $3.50; Sherburne's "John Paul Jones," 36 portraits inserted, $20; Simms's "Life of Marion," 22 prints inserted, $16; Sternhold and Hopkins, Ed. London, 1628, $19; the same, 1632, $11 Thomas's "Pensilvania and West-New-Jersey, Brady's reprint, on writing paper, illustrated, $47.50; the same, in ordinary style, illustrated, $15; "The Simple Cobbler of Aggavvam," edit. London, 1647, $55; Washington's Diary, 31 plates inserted, $50; Watson's Annals of New York, illustrated, $20; and an Autograph Letter of Gen. Washington, the enormous $2,050! sum of |