e History and Antiquities of Great Britain and
Ireland, &c., London, 1725, 8vo. Two different catalogues of
this valuable collection of books were printed. The one was
analysed, or a _catalogue raisonne_, to which was prefixed a
print of a Grecian portico, &c., with ornaments and statues:
the other (expressly for the sale) was an indigested and
extremely confused one--to which was prefixed a print,
designed and engraved by A. Motte, of an oak felled, with a
number of men cutting down and carrying away its branches;
illustrative of the following Greek Motto inscribed on a
scroll above--[Greek: Dryos pesouses pas aner xyleuetai];
"An affecting momento (says Mr. Nichols, very justly, in his
_Anecdotes of Bowyer_, p. 557) to the collectors of great
libraries, who cannot, or do not, leave them to some public
accessible repository." My friend, Dr. Gosset, was once so
fortunate as to pick up for me a _large paper_ copy of the
analysed catalogue, bound in old blue morocco, and ruled
with red lines, for 4_s._!--"Happy day!"]

[Footnote 379: In the year 1730-1, there was sold by auction
at St. Paul's Coffee House, in St. Paul's Church Yard
(beginning every evening at five o'clock), the library of
the celebrated Free Thinker, ANTHONY COLLINS, Esq.
"Containing a collection of several thousand volumes in
Greek, Latin, English, French, and Spanish; in divinity,
history, antiquity, philosophy, husbandry, and all polite
literature: and especially many curious travels and voyages;
and many rare and valuable pamphlets." This collection,
which is divided into _two parts_ (the first containing 3451
articles, the second 3442), is well worthy of being
consulted by the theologian who is writing upon any
controverted point of divinity; as there are articles in it
of the rarest occurrence. The singular character of its
owner and of his works is well known: he was at once the
friend and the opponent of Locke and Clarke, who both were
anxious for the conversion of a character of such strong,
but misguided, talents. The former, on his death-bed, wrote
Collins a letter to be delivered to him after his decease,
which was full of affection and good advice.]

We may here but slightly allude to the bibliographical reputation of
MAITTAIRE, as so much was said of him t