cted! Now I see thee, in imagination, with thy cautious step, and
head bowing from premature decay, and solemn air, and sombre visage,
with cane under the arm, pacing from library to library, through
gothic quadrangles; or sauntering along the Isis, in thy way to some
neighbouring village, where thou wouldst recreate thyself with "pipe
and pot." Yes, Anthony! while the _Bodleian_ and _Ashmolean_
collections remain--or rather as long as Englishmen know how to value
that species of literature by which the names and actions of their
forefathers are handed down to posterity, so long shall the memory of
thy laudable exertions continue unimpaired!

[Footnote 361: The name and literary labours of ANTHONY WOOD
are now held in general, and deservedly high, respect: and
it is somewhat amusing, though not a little degrading to
human nature, to reflect upon the celebrity of that man who,
when living, seems to have been ridiculed by the proud and
flippant, and hated by the ignorant and prejudiced, part of
his academical associates. The eccentricities of Wood were
considered heretical; and his whims were stigmatized as
vices. The common herd of observers was unable to discover,
beneath his strange garb, and coarse exterior, all that
acuteness of observation, and retentiveness of memory, as
well as inflexible integrity, which marked the intellectual
character of this wonderful man. But there is no necessity
to detain and tantalize the reader by this formal train of
reasoning, when a few leading features of Wood's person,
manners, and habits of study, &c., have been thus pleasingly
described to us by Hearne, in the life of him prefixed to
the genuine edition of the _History and Antiquities (or
Annals) of the University of Oxford_. "He was equally
regardless of envy or fame, out of his great love to truth,
and therefore 'twas no wonder he took such a liberty of
speech, as most other authors, out of prudence, cunning, or
design, have usually declined. And indeed, as to his
language, he used such words as were suitable to his
profession. It is impossible to think that men, who always
converse with old authors, should not learn the dialect of
their acquaintance--an antiquary retains an old word, with
as much religion as an old relick. And further, since our
author was ignorant of the rules of co