mong themselves.
Consider what may come of it!"

The decision of the Lords of the Star Chamber was dictated by passion
as much as justice. Its severity exceeded the crime of having produced
an unreadable volume of indigested erudition; and the learned
scribbler was too hardly used, scarcely escaping with life. Lord
Cottington, amazed at the mighty volume, too bluntly affirmed that
Prynne did not write this book alone; "he either assisted the devil,
or was assisted by the devil." But secretary Cooke delivered a
sensible and temperate speech; remarking on all its false erudition
that,

"By this vast book of Mr. Prynne's, it appeareth that he hath read
more than he hath studied, and studied more than he hath considered.
He calleth his book 'Histriomastix;' but therein he showeth himself
like unto Ajax Anthropomastix, as the Grecians called him, the scourge
of all mankind, that is, the whipper and the whip."

Such is the history of a man whose greatness of character was clouded
over and lost in a fatal passion for scribbling; such is the history
of a voluminous author whose genius was such that he could write a
folio much easier than a page; and "seldom dined" that he might quote
"squadrons of authorities."[109]

FOOTNOTES:

[102] That all these works should not be wanting to posterity,
Prynne deposited the complete collection in the library of
Lincoln's-Inn, about forty volumes in folio and quarto.
Noy, the Attorney-General, Prynne's great adversary, was
provoked at the society's acceptance of these ponderous
volumes, and promised to send them the voluminous labours of
Taylor the water-poet, to place by their side; he judged, as
Wood says, that "Prynne's books were worth little or
nothing; that his proofs were no arguments, and his
affirmations no testimonies." But honest Anthony, in spite
of his prejudices against Prynne, confesses, that though
"by the generality of scholars they are looked upon to be
rather rhapsodical and confused than polite or concise, yet,
for antiquaries, critics, and sometimes for divines, they are
useful." Such erudition as Prynne's always retains its
value--the author who could quote a hundred authors on
"the unloveliness of love-locks," will always make a good
literary chest of drawers, well filled, for those who can make
better use of their