erected to his
memory, but 'twas not without reason that a worthy
gentleman, now living in London, designed the following
epitaph for him:

Hic. Sitvs. JOANNES. BAGFORDIVS.
Antiquarivs. Penitvs. Britannvs.
Cujvs. Nuda. Solertia. Aliorvm.
Vicit. Operosam. Diligentiam.
Obiit. Maii. v. A.D. M.DCC.XVI.
Aetatis [LXV.]
Viri. Simplicis. Et. Sine. Fvco.
Memoria. Ne. Periret.
Hunc. Lapidem. Posvit....

"'Tis very remarkable that, in collecting, his care did not
extend itself to books and to fragments of books only; but
even to the very _Covers_, and to _Bosses_ and _Clasps_; and
all this that he might, with greater ease, compile the
History of Printing, which he had undertaken, but did not
finish. In this noble work he intended a Discourse about
_Binding Books_ (in which he might have improved what I have
said elsewhere about the ancient Aestels) and another about
the _Art of making Paper_, in both which his observations
were very accurate. Nay, his skill _in paper_ was so
exquisite that, at first view, he could tell the place
where, and the time when, any paper was made, though at
never so many years' distance. I well remember that, when I
was reading over a famous book of collections (written by
John Lawerne, Monk of Worcester, and now preserved) in the
Bodleian Library, Mr. Bagford came to me (as he would often
come thither on purpose to converse with me about
curiosities) and that he had no sooner seen the book, but he
presently described the time when, and the place where, the
paper of which it consists, was made. He was indefatigable
in his searches, and was so ambitious of seeing what he had
heard of, relating to his noble design, that he had made
several journies into Holland to see the famous books there.
Nor was he less thirsty after other antiquities, but, like
old John Stow, was for seeing himself, if possible (although
he travelled on foot), what had been related to him.
Insomuch that I cannot doubt, but were he now living, he
would have expressed a very longing desire of going to
Worcester, were it for no other reason but to be better
satisfied about the famous monumental stones mentioned by
Heming (_Chart, Wigorn._, p. 342), as he ofte