t of this illustrious Bibliomaniac; concerning whose
life and works the reader should peruse the well-known
volumes published at Oxford in 1772, 8vo.: containing the
biographical memoirs of Leland, Bale, Hearne, and Wood.

[Illustration: OBIIT MDCCXXXV: AETATIS SUAE LVII.

_Deut. xxxii: 7. Remember the days of old._]

The library of Hearne was sold in February, 1736, by Osborne
the book-seller; "the lowest price being marked in each
book." The title-page informs us of what all bibliomaniacs
will be disposed to admit the truth, that the collection
contained "a very great variety of uncommon books, and
scarce ever to be met withal," &c. There is, at bottom, a
small wretched portrait of Hearne, with this well known
couplet subjoined:

Pox on't quoth _Time_ to _Thomas Hearne_,
Whatever I _forget_ you learn.

Let the modern collector of Chronicles turn his eye towards
the 15th page of this catalogue--nos. 384, 390--and see
what "compleat and very fair" copies of these treasures were
incorporated in Hearne's extensive library!]

A little volume of book chit-chat might be written upon the marvellous
discovesies [Transcriber's Note: discoveries] and voluminous
compilations of Bagford and Hearne: and to these, we may add another
_unique_ bibliomaniac, who will go down to posterity under the
distinguished, and truly enviable, title of "_The Musical Small-Coal
Man_;" I mean, master THOMAS BRITTON. Yes, Lisardo; while we give to
the foregoing characters their full share of merit and praise; we
admit that Bagford's personal activity and manual labour have hardly
been equalled--while we allow John Murray to have looked with sharper
eyes after black-letter volumes than almost any of his predecessors
or successors--while we grant Thomas Hearne a considerable portion of
scholarship, an inflexible integrity, as well as indefatigable
industry, and that his works are generally interesting, both from the
artless style in which they are composed, and the intrinstic utility
of the greater part of them, yet let our admiration be [Transcriber's
Note: superfluous 'be'] "be screwed to its sticking place," when we
think upon the wonderous genius of the aforesaid Thomas Britton; who,
in the midst of his coal cellars, could practise upon "fiddle and
flute," or collate his curious volumes; and throwing away, with the
agility of a harlequin