atterly, were devoted entirely to the _Bibliomania_.
Although Bungay was too small and obscure for a spirit like
Miller's to disclose its full powers, yet he continued in it
till his death; and added a love of portrait and coin, to
that of book, collecting. For fifty years his stock, in
these twin departments, was copious and respectable; and
notwithstanding total blindness, which afflicted him during
the last six years of his life, he displayed uncommon
cheerfulness, activity, and even skill in knowing where the
different classes of books were arranged in his shop. Mr.
Miller was a warm loyalist, and an enthusiastic admirer of
Mr. Pitt. In 1795, when provincial copper coins were very
prevalent, our bibliomaniac caused a die of himself to be
struck; intending to strike some impressions of it upon gold
and silver, as well as upon copper. He began with the
latter; and the die breaking when only 23 impressions were
struck off, Miller, in the true spirit of numismatical
_virtu_, declined having a fresh one made. View here, gentle
reader, a wood-cut taken from the same: "This coin, which is
very finely engraved, and bears a strong profile likeness of
himself, is known to collectors by the name of 'THE MILLER
HALFPENNY.' Mr. Miller was extremely careful into whose
hands the impressions went; and they are now become so rare
as to produce at sales from three to five guineas."
_Gentleman's Magazine_; vol. lxxiv., p. 664.

[Illustration]]

LIS. Twenty, if you please.

LYSAND. What are become of Malvolio's busts and statues, of which you
were so solicitous to attend the sale, not long ago?

LIS. I care not a brass farthing for them:--only I do rather wish that
I had purchased the Count de Neny's _Catalogue of the Printed Books
and Manscripts [Transcriber's Note: Manuscripts] in the Royal Library
of France_. That golden opportunity is irrevocably lost!

PHIL. You wished for these books, to _set fire_ to them
perhaps--keeping up the ancient custom so solemnly established by your
father?[421]

[Footnote 421: The reader may not object to turn for one
moment to p. 27, ante.]

LIS. No more of this heart-rending subject! I thought I had made ample
atonement.

LYSAND. 'Tis true: and so we forgive and forget. Happy change!--and
all hail this salubrious morning, which witnesses the complete and