premised; and indeed has been already
observed upon--as a species of _heresy_. The Society assemble to a
"dejeune a la fourchette," about twelve o'clock: instead of to a
"seven o'clock dinner," as do the London Roxburghers: whereby their
constitutions and pockets are less affected. The other thing, to
observe upon, is, that they do not print (and publish among
themselves) such very strange, and out-of-the way productions, as do
the London Roxburghers. For truly, of _some_ of the latter, it may be
said with the anonymous poet in the _Adversaria_ of Barthius,

Verum haec nee puer edidici, nee tradita patre
Accepi, nee Aristotelis de moribus umquam
Librum, aut divini Platonis dogmata legi.
_Edit. Fabri_. 1624, col. 345, vol. i.

And why is it thus? Because these reprints are occasionally taken
(quoting Caspar Barthius himself, in the xxth chapter of his iid book
of Adversaria, _Edit. Ead_.) "ex libro egregie obscuro et a blattis
tineisque fere confecto." But, on the other hand, they are perfectly
harmless:

Sweet without soure, and honny without gall:

as Spenser observes in his _Colin Clout's come home again: edit._
1595: sign. E.F. Or, as is observed in _Les Illustrations de France,
edit_. 1513, 4to. litt. goth.:

Le dedens nest, ne trop cler, ne trop brun,
Mais delectable a veoir...comme il me semble. _Sign. Cii. rev_.

A genuine disciple of the Roxburghe Club will always exclaim
"delectable a veoir" let the contents of the book be "cler," or
"brun." Nor will such enthusiastic Member allow of the epithets of
"hodg-podge, gallimaufry, rhapsody," &c. which are to be found in the
"Transdentals General," of Bishop Wilkins's famous "_Essay towards a
real character and a philosophical language:"_ edit. 1668, fol. p.
28--as applicable to his beloved reprints! I annex the names of the
Members of the Societe des Bibliophiles, as that club was first
established.

1. Le Marquis de Chateaugiron, _President_. 2. Guilbert de
Pixerecours, _Secretaire_. 3. Le Chevalier Walckenaer, _Membre de
l'Institut, Tresorier._ 4. Alph. de Malartic, _Maitre des Requetes._
5. Durand de Lancon. 6. Edouard de Chabrol. 7. Berard, _Maitre des
Requetes_. 8. Le Vcte. de Morel-Vinde, _Pair de France._ 9. Madame la
Duchesse de Raguse, (_par courtoisie_.) 10. Pensier