les I have confined myself to those books, &c. only which
were expressly consigned to the flames by the hangman. The instances of
book-burning where this indignity was either not imposed, or its infliction
not recorded, are numerous. Among the curiosities of literature of
Elizabeth's reign, were certain books ascribed to a Dutchman, by name Henry
Nicholas, translated into English, and probably imported from the Low
Countries. This person, imbibing the "damnable heresies" of David George,
of Leyden, became the apostle of a sect who styled themselves "The Family
of Love," and their fanatical books becoming obnoxious to the dominant
party, they were, by proclamation, ordered to be burnt; and, as such
manifestations of the royal will usually ran, all persons were held
punishable for having them in their possession. (See Herbert's _Ames._) As
an example of the spiritual power thus dealing with a book, apparently upon
its own authority, the following may be offered:--_Servetus de Trinitate,
&c._ (London, 1723.) This edition, which is without name of place or
printer, and without date, was printed by Palmer for Osborne the
bookseller; but, as soon as completed was seized at the instance of Dr.
Gibson, Bishop of London, and burnt, with the exception of a very few
copies. (Davis' _Journey round the Library, &c._) The last unfortunate book
I shall mention is the _Metrical Psalms_ of Dod; which was also, most
likely, an episcopal seizure. Mr. Holland, in his _Psalmists of Britain_,
quoting from George Withers' _Scholler's Purgatory_, says, "Dod the
silkman's late ridiculous translation of the Psalms was, by authority,
worthily condemned to the fire," and, judging from its extreme scarcity, I
should say very few escaped.

J. O.

I have not seen in your list of martyred books the following, in the year
A.D. 1684: _A Plea for the Nonconformists_, by Thomas De Laune, Gentleman.
He died in Newgate, during his imprisonment for the book, in pursuance of
the following sentence:

"Ad General. Quartercal. Session. Pacis Dom. Regis tent. pro Civitat.
London per adjornament, apud Justice-hall in le Old Bayly, die Mercurii
Scil. Decimo Sexto die January, Anno Regis Caroli Secundi cundi nunc
Ang. &c.

"Thomas De Laune Convict. pro illicite Scribend. Imprimend. et
Publicand. Libel. Seditios. dert. concernen. librum Communis
praecationis. Fin. 100 Marc. Et committit, etc.! Et ulterius quousq;
Inven. bon. de se