ath much learning by getting
a great library. As soon shall I believe every one is valiant that
hath a well-furnished armory. I guess good housekeeping by the
smoking, not the number of the tunnels, as knowing that many of
them--built merely for uniformity--are without chimneys, and more
without fires.

Some books are only cursorily to be tasted of: namely, first,
voluminous books, the task of a man's life to read them over;
secondly, auxiliary books, only to be repaired to on occasions;
thirdly, such as are mere pieces of formality, so that if you look on
them you look through them, and he that peeps through the casement of
the index sees as much as if he were in the house. But the laziness of
those cannot be excused who perfunctorily pass over authors of
consequence, and only trade in their tables and contents. These, like
city cheaters, having gotten the names of all country gentlemen, make
silly people believe they have long lived in those places where they
never were, and flourish with skill in those authors they never
seriously studied.

LONDON

From 'The Worthies of England'

It is the second city in Christendom for greatness, and the first for
good government. There is no civilized part of the world but it has
heard thereof, though many with this mistake: that they conceive
London to be the country and England but the city therein.

Some have suspected the declining of the lustre thereof, because of
late it vergeth so much westward, increasing in buildings, Covent
Garden, etc. But by their favor (to disprove their fear) it will be
found to burnish round about with new structures daily added
thereunto.

It oweth its greatness under God's divine providence to the
well-conditioned river of Thames, which doth not (as some tyrant
rivers of Europe) abuse its strength in a destructive way, but
employeth its greatness in goodness, to be beneficial to commerce, by
the reciprocation of the tide therein. Hence it was that when King
James, offended with the city, threatened to remove his court to
another place, the Lord Mayor (boldly enough) returned that "he might
remove his court at his pleasure, but could not remove the river
Thames."

Erasmus will have London so called from Lindus, a city of Rhodes;
averring a great resemblance betwixt the languages and customs of the
Britons and Grecians. But Mr. Camden (who no doubt knew of it)
honoreth not this his etymology with the least mention thereof. As
impr