envy:--"She bound the book
entirely, ALL WROUGHT IN GOLD, in a new and most elegant
fashion." The fame of this book, or concordance, as it was
called, reached the ears of Charles I., who "intreated"
(such was his Majesty's expression) to be favoured with a
sight of it. Laud and Cousins, who were then chaplains in
waiting, presented it to the King; who "after long and
serious looking it over, said, 'This is indeed a most
valuable work, and in many respects to be presented to the
greatest prince upon earth: for the matter it contains is
the richest of all treasures. The laborious composure of it
into this excellent form of _an Harmony_, the judicious
contrivance of the method, the curious workmanship in so
neatly cutting out and disposing the text, _the nice laying
of these costly pictures, and the exquisite art expressed in
the binding_, are, I really think, not to be equalled. I
must acknowledge myself to be, indeed, greatly indebted to
the family for THIS JEWEL: and whatever is in my power I
shall, at any time, be ready to do for any of them.'"
_Eccles. Biogr._, vol. v., 172-8. This was spoken, by
Charles, in the true spirit of a Book-Knight! Cromwell, I
suppose, would have shewn the same mercy to this treasure as
he did to the madonnas of Raffaelle--thrown it behind the
fire, as idolatrous! The nephew emulated and eclipsed the
bibliomaniacal celebrity of his uncle. At the age of
twenty-one, he executed three books (or "works" as they are
called) of uncommon curiosity and splendour. Archbishop
Laud, who had a keen eye and solid judgment for things of
this sort (as the reader will find in the following pages)
undertook to introduce young Ferrars to the King. The
introduction is told in such a pleasing style of _naivete_,
and the manual dexterity of the young bibliomaniac is so
smartly commended by Charles, that I cannot find it in my
heart to abridge much of the narrative. "When the king saw
the Archbishop enter the room, he said, 'What have you
brought with you those _rarities_ and _jewels_ you told me
of?' 'Yea, sire,' replied the bishop; 'here is the YOUNG
GENTLEMAN and his works.' So the bishop, taking him by the
hand, led him up to the king. He, falling down on his knees,
the king gave him his hand to kiss, bidding him ri