title of A NEW YEAR'S GIFT; and
was first published by Bale in 1549, 8vo. "Being inflamed,"
says the author, "with a love to see thoroughly all those
parts of your opulent and ample realm, in so much that all
my other occupations intermitted, I have so travelled in
your dominions, both by the sea coasts and the middle parts,
sparing neither labour nor costs, by the space of six years
past, that there is neither cape nor bay, haven, creek, or
pier, river, or confluence of rivers, breeches, wastes,
lakes, moors, fenny waters, mountains, vallies, heaths,
forests, chases, woods, cities, burghes, castles, principal
manor places, monasteries and colleges, but I have seen
them; and noted, in so doing, a whole world of things very
memorable." Leland moreover tells his Majesty--that "By his
laborious journey and costly enterprise, he had conserved
many good authors, the which otherwise had been like to have
perished; of the which, part remained in the royal palaces,
part also in his own custody, &c."

As Leland was engaged six years in this literary tour, so he
was occupied for a no less period of time in digesting and
arranging the prodigious number of MSS. he had collected.
But he sunk beneath the immensity of the task! The want of
amanuenses, and of other attentions and comforts, seems to
have deeply affected him; in this melancholy state, he wrote
to Archbishop Cranmer a Latin epistle, in verse, of which
the following is the commencement--very forcibly describing
his situation and anguish of mind.

Est congesta mihi domi supellex
Ingens, aurea, nobilis, venusta
Qua totus studeo Britanniarum
Vero reddere gloriam nitori.
Sed fortuna meis noverca coeptis
Jam felicibus invidet maligna.
Quare, ne pereant brevi vel hora
Multarum mihi noctium labores
Omnes----
CRANMERE, eximium decus piorum!
Implorare tuam benignitatem
Cogor.

The result was that Leland lost his senses; and, after
lingering two years in a state of total derangement, he died
on the 18th of April, 1552. "Proh tristes rerum humanarum
vices! proh viri optimi deplorandam infelicissimamque
sortem!" exclaims Dr. Smith, in his preface to Camden's
Life, 1691, 4to.

The precious and