riend, Dr. JENNER) had not then made known the
blessings resulting from the vaccine operation: for poor
Wanley's face is absolutely _peppered_ with _variolous_
indentations! Yet he seems to have been a hale and hearty
man, in spite of the merciless inroads made upon his visage;
for his cheeks are full, his hair is cropt and curly, and
his shoulders have a breadth which shew that the unrolling
of the HARLEIAN MSS. did not produce any enervating effluvia
or mismata [Transcriber's Note: miasmata]. Our poet, Gay, in
his epistle to Pope, _ep._ 18, thus hits off his
countenance:

O WANLEY, whence com'st thou with _shorten'd hair_,
And _visage_, from thy shelves, _with_ dust besprent?

But let us hear the testimony of a friend and fellow
bibliomaniac, called Thomas Hearne. The following desultory
information is translated from the preface to the _Annales
Prioratus de Dunstable_--wherein, by the bye, there is a
good deal of pleasant information relating to Wanley. We are
here told that Wanley was "born at Coventry; and, in his
younger days, employed his leisure hours in turning over
ancient MSS., and imitating the several hands in which they
were written. Lloyd, Bishop of Litchfield and Coventry, in
one of his episcopal visitations, was the first who noticed
and patronized him. He demanded that Wanley should be
brought to him; he examined him "suis ipsius, non alterius,
oculis;" and ascertained whether what so many respectable
people had said of his talents was true or false--'A few
words with you, young man,' said the Bishop. Wanley
approached with timidity--'What are your pursuits, and where
are the ancient MSS. which you have in your possession?'
Wanley answered readily; exhibited his MSS., and entered
into a minute discussion respecting the ancient method of
painting." Hearne then expatiates feelingly upon the
excessive care and attention which Wanley devoted to ancient
MSS.; how many pieces of vellum he unrolled; and how,
sometimes, in the midst of very urgent business, he would
lose no opportunity of cultivating what was useful and
agreeable in his particular pursuit. His hobby horse seems
to have been the discovery of the ancient method of
colouring or painting--yet towards BRITISH HISTORY and
ANTIQUITIES he c