a corner of the chaise, he declared that he was now in a most apt
mood to listen attentively to Philemon's digressive chat: who
accordingly thus began.

"Lord Coke,"--exclaimed PHILEMON, in a mirthful strain--"before he
ventured upon '_The Jurisdiction of the Courts of the Forest_,' wished
to 'recreate himself' with Virgil's description of 'Dido's Doe of the
Forest;'[163] in order that he might 'proceed the more cheerfully'
with the task he had undertaken; and thus exchange somewhat of the
precise and technical language of the lawyer for that glowing tone of
description which woodland scenes and hunting gaieties seldom fail to
produce. Even so, my good friends (pursued Philemon), I shall make a
little digression from the confined subject to which our attentions
have been so long directed by taking you with me, in imagination, to
the delightful abode of ORLANDO."

[Footnote 163: The quaint language of Lord Coke is well
worth quotation: "And seeing we are to treat of matters of
game, and hunting, let us (to the end we may proceed the
more chearfully) recreate ourselves with the excellent
description of Dido's Doe of the Forest wounded with a
deadly arrow sticken in her, and not impertinent to our
purpose:

Uritur infaelix Dido, totaque vagatur
Urbe furens, &c.

And in another place, using again the word (Sylva) and
describing a forest saith:

Ibat in antiquam sylvam stabula alta ferarum."

_Institutes_, pt. iv., p. 289, ed. 1669.

Thus pleasantly could our sage expounder of the laws of the
realm illustrate the dry subject of which he treated!]

LIS. I have heard of him: a very "_Helluo Librorum_!" Thus we only
change sides--from things to men; from books to book-collectors. Is
this digressive? Is this an episode?

PHIL. Why this abrupt interruption? If I did not know you and myself,
too, Lisardo, I should observe an obstinate silence during the
remainder of the journey. An episode, though it suspend the main
action for a while, partakes of the nature of the subject of the work.
It is an _appropriate_ digression. Do pray read Dr. Blair[164] upon
the subject--and now only listen.

[Footnote 164: _Lecture_ XLII., vol. iii.]

Orlando (continued Philemon) had from his boyhood loved books and
book-reading. His fortune was rather limited; but he made shift--after
bringing up three children, whom he lost from the age