These works, which are now getting scarce, should be in
every philological, as well as topographical, collection. In
order to compensate the reader for the trouble of wading
through the preceding tremendous note, I here present him
with a wood-cut facsimile of a copper-plate print of Wood's
portrait, which is prefixed to his Life, 1772, 8vo. If he
wishes for more curious particulars respecting Wood's
literary labours, let him take a peep into _Thomae Caii
Vindic. Antiq. Acad. Oxon._: 1730, 8vo., vol. i., pp. xl.
xliii. _Edit. Hearne._ Wood's study, in the Ashmolean
museum, is yet to be seen. It is filled with curious books,
which, however, have not hitherto been catalogued with
accuracy. Ritson has availed himself, more successfully than
any antiquary in poetry, of the book treasures in this
museum.

[Illustration]]

A very few years after the death of this distinguished character, died
Dr. FRANCIS BERNARD;[362] a stoic in bibliography. Neither beautiful
binding, nor amplitude of margin, ever delighted his eye or rejoiced
his heart: for he was a stiff, hard, and straight-forward reader--and
learned, in Literary History, beyond all his contemporaries. His
collection was copious and excellent; and although the compiler of the
catalogue of his books sneers at any one's having "an entire
collection in physic," (by the bye, I should have told you that
Bernard was a _Doctor of Medicine_,) yet, if I forget not, there are
nearly 150 pages in this said catalogue which are thickly studded with
"_Libri Medici_," from the folio to the duodecimo size. Many very
curious books are afterwards subjoined; and some precious _bijous_, in
English Literature, close the rear. Let Bernard be numbered among the
most learned and eminent bibliomaniacs.

[Footnote 362: I do not know that I could produce a better
recipe for the cure of those who are affected with the worst
symptoms of the BOOK-MANIA, in the _present day_, than by
shewing them how the same symptoms, upwards of a _century
ago_, were treated with ridicule and contempt by a collector
of very distinguished fame, both on account of his literary
talents and extensive library. The following copious extract
is curious on many accounts; and I do heartily wish that
foppish and tasteless collectors would give it a very
serious perusal. At the same time, all co