compassed; and which he is as ready to communicate, as he
has been careful to collect it." _Hist. of the Reformation_,
vol. iii., p. 46. It seems hard to reconcile this testimony
of Burnet with the late Mr. Gough's declaration, that "The
bishop collected his library by plundering those of the
clergy in his diocese; some he paid with sermons or more
modern books; others only with '_quid illiterati cum
libris_.'" On the death of More, his library was offered to
Lord Oxford for 8000_l._; and how that distinguished and
truly noble collector could have declined the purchase of
such exquisite treasures--unless his own shelves were
groaning beneath the weight of a great number of similar
volumes--is difficult to account for. But a public-spirited
character was not wanting to prevent the irreparable
dispersion of such book-gems: and that patriotic character
was GEORGE I.!--who gave 6000_l._ for them, and presented
them to the public library of the University of Cambridge!--

"These are imperial works, and worthy kings!"

And here, benevolent reader, the almost unrivalled
_Bibliotheca Moriana_ yet quietly and securely reposes. Well
do I remember the congenial hours I spent (A.D. 1808) in the
_closet_ holding the most precious part of Bishop More's
collection, with my friend the Rev. Mr. ----, tutor of one
of the colleges in the same University, at my
right-hand--(himself "greatly given to the study of books")
actively engaged in promoting my views, and increasing my
extracts--but withal, eyeing me sharply "ever and anon"--and
entertaining a laudable distrust of a keen book-hunter from
a rival University! I thank my good genius that I returned,
as I entered, with clean hands! My love of truth and of
bibliography compels me to add, with a sorrowful heart, that
not only is there no printed catalogue of Bishop More's
books, but even the FINE PUBLIC LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY
remains unpublished in print! In this respect they really do
"order things better in France." Why does such indifference
to the cause of general learning exist--and in the 19th
century too? Let me here presume to submit a plan to the
consideration of the syndics of the press; provided they
should ever feel impressed with the necessity of informing
the litera