Drama_ in this than in Henderson's collection. Mr.
Kemble purchased the dearest volume, which was "Whetstone's
Promos and Cassandra," 1578, 4to. (no. 2396) for 7_l._
10_s._ Mr. George Nicol (for the late Duke of Roxburgh) kept
up a tremendous fire at this sale! Akin to Dodd's, was the
"_Curious and Valuable Library of_ GEORGE SMYTH, Esq.--sold
by Leigh and Sotheby, June 2, 1797, 8vo." There were many
uncommon books in this collection, exclusively of those
appertaining to the Drama; and when I mention, in this
latter department--Hughes's Misfortunes of Prince Arthur,
&c., printed by Robinson, 1587, 4to. (no. 1376; 16_l._
15_s._), both the parts of Shakespeare's Henry the Fourth
(1599-1600, 4to., nos. 1436-7; 18_l._ 18_s._), his Much
Ado about Nothing, 1600, 4to., (no. 1438; 7_l._
10_s._)--I say enough to sharpen the collector's appetite to
obtain, if he have it not, possession of this curious but
barbarously printed catalogue. To these, let me add the
"_Catalogue of a portion of the Library of_ WILLIAM
FILLINGHAM, Esq., _consisting of old quarto plays, early
English Poetry, and a few scarce Tracts, &c., sold by Leigh
and Sotheby_, April 1805, 8vo." The arrangement of this
small catalogue is excellent. Many of the books in it are of
the rarest occurrence; and, to my knowledge, were in the
finest preservation. The collector is no more! He died in
India; cut off in the prime of life, and in the midst of his
intellectual and book-collecting ardour! He was a man of
exceedingly gentlemanlike manners, and amiable disposition;
and his taste was, upon the whole, well cultivated and
correct. Many a pleasant, and many a profitable, hour have I
spent in his "delightsome" library!!!]

LYSAND. It was; and if you had not reminded me of it, I should have
entirely forgotten it. Catalogues of _dramatic Libraries_, well
arranged, are of great service to the cause of the Bibliomania.

LIS. I wish we could procure some act of parliament to induce the
dramatic collectors--by a fair remuneration--to give a well analysed
account of their libraries. We should then have the _Bibliotheca
Roxburghiana_, _Bibliotheca Maloniana_, and what say you to the
_Bibliotheca Kembleiana_.

LYSAND. You are running wild. Let me continue my bibliomaniacal
history.

We may now advance directly to the exquisite--and