Bolt Court printing-office, and all it contained, was
destroyed by fire. Only _two_ copies of the works of Wyatt
and Surrey escaped, having been sent to Dr. Nott by the
printer, as _clean sheets_.]

LIS. Pray make me acquainted with him.

LYSAND. You will love him exceedingly when you thoroughly know him;
because he was the first man in this country who took pains to do
justice to Chaucer, by collecting and collating the mutilated editions
of his works. Moreover, he rummaged a great number of libraries, under
the express order of Henry VIII.; and seems in every respect (if we
may credit the apparently frank testimony of his son[320]), to have
been a thoroughbred bibliomaniac. Secure Mr. Todd's _Illustrations of
Gower and Chaucer_, and set your heart at ease upon the subject.

[Footnote 320: "--but (my father, WILLIAM THYNNE) further
had commissione to serche all the libraries of England for
Chaucer's works, so that oute of all the abbies of this
realme (which reserved any monuments thereof), he was fully
furnished with multitude of bookes," &c. On Thynne's
discovering Chaucer's Pilgrim's Tale, when Henry VIII. had
read it--"he called (continues the son) my father unto hym,
sayinge, 'William Thynne, I doubt this will not be allowed,
for I suspecte the byshoppes will call thee in question for
yt.' To whome my father beinge in great fauore with his
prince, sayed, 'yf your Grace be not offended, I hope to be
protected by you.' Whereupon the kinge bydd hym goo his waye
and feare not," &c. "But to leave this, I must saye that, in
those many written bookes of Chaucer, which came to my
father's hands, there were many false copyes, which Chaucer
shewethe in writinge of Adam Scriuener, of which written
copies there came to me, after my father's death, some fyve
and twentye," &c. _Illustrations of Gower and Chaucer_; pp.
11, 13, 15. Let us not hesitate one moment about the
appellation of _Helluo Librorum_,--justly due to MASTER
WILLIAM THYNNE!]

But it is time to introduce your favourite LELAND: a bibliomaniac of
unparalleled powers and unperishable fame. To entwine the wreath of
praise round the brow of this great man seems to have been considered
by Bale among the most exquisite gratifications of his existence. It
is with no small delight, therefore, Lorenzo, that I view, at this
distance, the marbl