l forager. A modern collector
and lover of _perfect_ copies, will witness, with
shuddering, among Bagford's immense collection of
title-pages in the Museum, the frontispieces of the
Complutensian Polyglot, and Chauncy's History of
Hertfordshire, torn out to illustrate a History of Printing.
His enthusiasm, however, carried him through a great deal of
laborious toil; and he supplied in some measure, by this
qualification, the want of other attainments. His whole mind
was devoted to book-hunting; and his integrity and diligence
probably made his employers overlook his many failings. His
handwriting is scarcely legible, and his orthography is
still more wretched; but if he was ignorant, he was humble,
zealous, and grateful; and he has certainly done something
towards the accomplishment of that desirable object, an
accurate GENERAL HISTORY OF PRINTING. The preceding was
inserted in the _first edition_ of this work. It is
incumbent on me to say something more, and less declamatory,
of so extraordinary a character; and as my sources of
information are such as do not fall into the hands of the
majority of readers, I trust the prolixity of what follows,
appertaining to the aforesaid renowned bibliomaniac, will be
pardoned--at least by the lover of curious biographical
memoranda. My old friend, Tom Hearne, is my chief authority.
In the preface to that very scarce, but rather curious than
valuable, work, entitled _Guil. Roper Vita D. Thomae Mori_,
1716, 8vo., we have the following brief notice of Bagford:
Sec. ix. "Epistolas et Orationes excipit Anonymi Scriptoris
chronicon; quod idcirco Godstovianum appellare visum est,
quia in illud forte fortuna inciderim, quum, anno MDCCXV.
una cum JOANNAE BAGFORDIO, amico egregio ad rudera Prioratus
de Godstowe juxta Oxoniam animi recreandi gratia,
perambularem. De illo vero me prius certiorem fecerat ipse
Bagfordius, qui magno cum nostro moerore paullo post
Londini obiit, die nimirum quinto Maij anno MDCCXVI. quum
jam annum aetatis sexagessimum quintum inplerisset, ut e
litteris intelligo amici ingenio et humanitate ornati
Jacobei Sothebeii, junioris, qui, si quis alius, e
familiaribus erat Bagfordii. Virum enimvero ideo mihi quam
maxime hac occasione lugendum est, quod amicum probitate et
m