Ronsard, in his 8 and 9 feet metres, is one of the most
fascinating of the old French poets. The subject, above
alluded to by Lysander, may be yet more strongly
illustrated: for thus speaks Spizelius upon it. 'Solent viri
multijugae lectionis, qui avide, quos possunt versant libros,
ut in mentis ventrem trajicere eos velle, totosque devorare
videantur, elegantis proverbii saliva LIBRORUM HELLUONES
nuncupari; ipso quidem Tullio praelucente, qui avidos
lectores librorum, ac propemodum insiatiables Helluones
dixit, siquidem _vastissima volumina_ percurrant, et
quicquid boni succi exprimere possunt, propriis et alienis
impendant emolumentis." Again: "Maxima cum sit eorum
Literarum stoliditas, qui, quod nocte somniarunt, continuo
edunt in lucem, neque ipsa virium imbecillitate suarum, ab
arduo scribendi munere et onere, sese revocari patiuntur,"
&c. _Infelix Literatus_; pp. 295, 447. Morof is worth our
notice upon this subject: "Veniamus ad Bibliothecas ipsas,
quales vel privatae sunt, vel publicae. Illae, quanquam in
molem tantam non excrescant ut publicae; sunt tamen etiam
inter privatos viri illustres et opulenti qui in libris
omnis generis coemendis nullis parcunt sumptibus. Quorum
[Greek: bibliomanian] reprehendit Seneca _Ep._ 2. 45, _et de
Tranquil. animi_ c. 9, ridet Lucianus in libello [Greek:
pros apaideuton kai polla biblia onoumenon]; et Auson.
_epigr._ 43. Sunt ita animati nonnulli, ut

_magno de flumine malint
Quam de fonticulo tantundem sumere;_

cum vastioris Bibliothecae minor interdum usus sit, quam ejus
quae selectis paucioribus libris constat." _Polyhist.
Literar._ vol. i., p. 21. He goes on in a very amusing
manner; but this note may be thought already too long.]

BELIN. Well; we live in a marvellous book-collecting and book-reading
age--yet a word more:

ALMAN. I crave your pardon, Belinda; but I have a thought which must
be now imparted, or the consequence may be serious.

LYSAND. I wait both your commands.

ALMAN. My thought--or rather the subject which now occupies my
mind--is this: You have told us of the symptoms of the _Disease of
Book-Madness_, now pray inform us, as a tender-hearted physician, what
are the _means of its cure_?

BELIN. The very question I was about to put to our bibliomaniacal
physician. Pray in