--for that, in
_them_, the final units were compressed into a V and not extended by five
strokes, thus--_iiiij_. As he was unacquainted with my account of these
copies in the _Bibliotheca Spenceriana_, I was necessarily minute in the
foregoing statement. The worthy old bibliographer was so pleased with this
account, that he lifted up his eyes and hands, and exclaimed, "one grows
old always to learn something."

M. Haffner, who was one of the guests at a splendid, but extremely sociable
dinner party at _Madame Franc's_[224] the principal banker here--is a
pleasing, communicative, open-countenanced, and open-hearted gentleman. He
may be about sixty years of age. I viewed his library with admiration. The
order was excellent; and considering what were his _means_, I could not but
highly compliment him upon his prudence and enthusiasm. This was among the
happiest illustrations of the _Bibliomania_ which I had ever witnessed. The
owner of this well chosen collection shewed me with triumph his copy of the
first Greek Testament by _Erasmus_, and his copies of the same sacred book
by _R. Stephen_ and _Wetstein_, in folio. Here too I saw a body of
philological theology (if I may use this term) headed by _Walchius_ and
_Wolff_, upon the possession of a similar collection of which, my late
neighbour and friend, Dr. Gosset, used to expatiate with delight.

Let me now take you with me out of doors. You love architecture of all
descriptions: but "the olden" is always your "dear delight." In the
construction of the streets of Strasbourg, they generally contrive that the
corner house should _not_ terminate with a right angle. Such a termination
is pretty general throughout Strasbourg. Of the differently, and sometimes
curiously, constructed iron bars in front of the windows, I have also
before made mention. The houses are generally lofty; and the roofs contain
two or three tiers of open windows, garret-fashioned; which gives them a
picturesque appearance; but which, I learn, were constructed as granaries
to hold flour--for the support of the inhabitants, when the city should
sustain a long and rigorous siege. As to _very ancient_ houses, I cannot
charge my memory with having seen any; and the most ancient are those on
the other side of the _Ill_; of which several are near the convent before
mentioned.

The immediate environs of Strasbourg (as I have before remarked) are very
flat and poor, in a picturesque point of view. They consist c