a dibdin rarity
The publication of the Tour progressed slowly: the work of engraving was considerable and Dibdin had other commitments. He later recalled: ‘For upwards of two years, conjointly with Ædes Althorpianae , was the Tour progressing at the press and with various artists’. 8 In addition to this work, he had to see the fourth (and final) volume of the Typographical Antiquities through the press; it appeared in June 1819. He also was engaged in collating the many purchases made on behalf of and by George John, second Earl Spencer, which resulted in A Catalogue of the Rare and Valuable Duplicates from the Library of the Rt. Hon. Earl Spencer, K.G. includ- ing a Considerable Portion of the Library of the Duke di Cassano , sold by Robert Harding Evans (1777–1857) on 2 March 1821. Finally, he was preparing the catalogue of the fifteenth-century books from the library of the Duke di Cassano Serra retained by Spencer, which was published in 1823. The long-awaited Tour appeared at last in the spring of 1821 to be taken up by the various subscribers, including members of the book trade. Dibdin immediately put the income to use, paying the bills for the various elements of production. 9 At this point, according to Lewis, he requested one from the artist. What Dibdin had antici- pated is unclear: perhaps he expected a greater appreciation from Lewis of the praise and patronage bestowed upon him when adding up his bill. Lewis, however, had a strong sense of the value of his work and submitted an account for £ 431, roughly six guineas for each drawing. It was at this point that the relationship between the two men began to disintegrate. When Dibdin objected, the dispute was referred to a group of arbitrators who ruled in Lewis’s favour. Meeting this unanticipated expense put an additional strain on Dibdin’s precarious financial situation. He already had discounted to the trade some of the ‘extra’ copies of the Tour on which he had hoped to make a profit by selling at full price. He lamented to his printers, William Bulmer and William Nicol, in a letter of 30 July 8 . Reminiscences , p. 654; Ædes Althorpianae was published in 1822. 9 . The expenses for drawing and engraving amounted to £ 4740, while the printing, pa- per, copperplate printing, and boarding cost about £ 3000. Dibdin stated he lost £ 120 as book debt with travelling expenses of about £ 300 ‘unredeemed’ ( Reminiscences , pp. 654, 663).
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