empire."

"The caliph, Omar I. having conquered Egypt, caused his
general to burn the Ptolemean library, on the gates of which
was this inscription: '[Greek: PSYCHES IATREION]:'
'THE PHYSIC OF THE SOUL.'" Warburton's note. The last editor
of Pope's works, (vol. v. 214.) might have referred us to
the very ingenious observations of Gibbon, upon the
probability of this latter event: see his "_Decline and Fall
of the Roman Empire_," vol. ix. 440, &c.]

LIS. The act, upon reflection, was no doubt sufficiently foolish. But
why so warm upon the subject?

LYSAND. Let me defend Philemon; or at least account for his zeal. Just
before you came in, he was leading me to give him some account of the
RISE AND PROGRESS OF BIBLIOGRAPHY; and was fearful that, from your
noted aversion to the subject, you would soon cut asunder the thread
of our conversation.

LIS. If you can convert me to be an admirer of such a subject, or even
to endure it, you will work wonders; and, unless you promise to do so,
I know not whether I shall suffer you to begin.

PHIL. Begin, my dear Lysander. A mind disposed to listen attentively
is sometimes half converted. O, how I shall rejoice to see this
bibliographical incendiary going about to buy up copies of the very
works which he has destroyed! Listen, I entreat you, Lisardo.

LIS. I am all attention; for I see the clouds gathering in the south,
and a gloomy, if not a showery, mid-day, promises to darken this
beauteous morning. 'Twill not be possible to attend the antiques at
Malvolio's sale.

LYSAND. Whether the sun shine, or the showers fall, I will make an
attempt--not to convert, but to state simple truths: provided you
"lend me your ears."

PHIL. And our hearts too. Begin: for the birds drop their notes, and
the outlines of the distant landscape are already dimmed by the
drizzling rain.

LYSAND. You call upon me as formally as the shepherds call upon one
another to sing in Virgil's eclogues. But I will do my best.

It is gratifying to the English nation--whatever may have been
the strictures of foreigners[99] upon the paucity of their
bibliographico-literary works in the 16th century--that the earliest
printed volume upon the love and advantages of book-collecting was the
_Philobiblion_[100] of RICHARD DE BURY; who was bishop of Durham at
the close of the 14th century, and tutor to Edward III. I will at
present say nothing about the merits and demerits