ed Langbaine is re-echoed in almost every recent
work connected with the belles-lettres of our country. Oldys
himself was unrivalled in this method of illustration; if,
besides his Langbaine, his copy of 'Fuller's Worthies' [once
Mrs. Steevens's, now Mr. Malone's, See Bibl. Steevens,
no. 1799] be alone considered! This Oldys was the oddest
mortal that ever scribbled for bread. Grose, in his _Olio_,
gives an amusing account of his having "a number of small
parchment bags inscribed with the names of the persons whose
lives he intended to write; into which he put every
circumstance and anecdote he could collect, and thence drew
up his history." See Noble's _College of Arms_, p. 420.

Of illustrated copies in this way, the Suidas of Kuster,
belonging to the famous D'Orville, is a memorable instance.
This is now in the Bodleian library. I should suppose that
one Narcissus Luttrell, in Charles the Second's reign, had a
number of like illustrated copies. His collection of
contemporaneous literature must have been immense, as we may
conclude from the account of it in Mr. Walter Scott's
Preface to his recent edition of Dryden's works. Luckily for
this brilliant poet and editor, a part of Luttrell's
collection had found its way into the libraries of Mr.
Bindley and Mr. Heber, and thence was doomed to shine, with
renewed lustre, by the side of the poetry of Dryden.]

IV. _Unique Copies._ A passion for a book which has any peculiarity
about it, by either, or both, of the foregoing methods of
illustration--or which is remarkable for its size, beauty, and
condition--is indicative of a rage for _unique copies_, and is
unquestionably a strong prevailing symptom of the Bibliomania. Let me
therefore urge every sober and cautious collector not to be fascinated
by the terms "_Matchless, and Unique_;" which, "in slim Italicks" (to
copy Dr. Ferriar's happy expression) are studiously introduced into
Bookseller's catalogues to lead the unwary astray. Such a Collector
may fancy himself proof against the temptation; and will, in
consequence, _call only to look at_ this unique book, or set of books;
but, when he views the morocco binding, silk water-tabby lining,
blazing gilt edges--when he turns over the white and spotless
leaves--gazes on the amplitude of margin--on a rare and lovely print
introduced--and is charmed with the sof