ad made that just and
laudable use of his books which would become all those that
set up for collectors, I appeal to the Literati of his
acquaintance, who conversed most frequently with him; how
full, how ready, and how exact he was in answering any
question that was proposed to him relating to learned men,
or their writings; making no secret of any thing that he
knew, or any thing that he had; being naturally one of the
most communicative men living, both of his knowledge and his
books."--"And give me leave to say this of him, upon my own
knowledge; that he never grudged his money in procuring, nor
his time or labour in perusing, any book which he thought
could be any ways instructive to him, and having the
felicity of a memory always faithful, always officious,
which never forsook him, though attacked by frequent and
severe sickness, and by the worst of diseases, old age, his
desire of knowledge attended him to the last; and he pursued
his studies with equal vigour and application to the very
extremity of his life." It remains to add a part of the
title of the catalogue of the collection of this
extraordinary bibilomaniac [Transcriber's Note:
bibliomaniac]: "_A Catalogue of the Library of the late
learned_ DR. FRANCIS BERNARD, _Fellow of the College of
Physicians, and Physician to St. Bartholomew's Hospital,
&c._," 1698, 8vo. The English books are comprised in 1241
articles; and, among them, the keen investigator of ancient
catalogues will discover some prime rarities.]

Having at length reached the threshold, let us knock at the door, of
the eighteenth century. What gracious figures are those which approach
to salute us? They are the forms of BISHOPS FELL and MORE:[363]
prelates, distinguished for their never ceasing admiration of
valuable and curious works. The former is better known as an editor;
the latter, as a collector--and a collector, too, of such multifarious
knowledge, of such vivid and just perceptions, and unabating
activity--that while he may be hailed as the _Father of_ =black-letter=
_Collectors_ in this country, he reminds us of his present successor
in the same see; who is not less enamoured of rare and magnificent
volumes, but of a different description, and whose library assumes a
grander cast of character.

[Footnote 363: As I have already presented the public