es_, excellently, by my good judgment,
translated into verse, and fair printed this summer by
Gryphius. Your stationers do ill, that at least do 'not
provide you the register of all books, especially of old
authors, &c.'" p. 372. Again: "Hieronimus Wolfius, that
translated Demosthenes and Isocrates, is in this town. I am
well acquainted with him, and have brought him twice to my
Lord's to dinner. He looks very simple. He telleth me that
one Borrheus, that hath written well upon Aristot. priorum,
&c., even now is printing goodly commentaries upon
Aristotle's Rhetoric. But Sturmius will obscure them all."
p. 381.

It is impossible to read these extracts without being
convinced that Roger Ascham was a book-hunter, and infected
with the BIBLIOMANIA!]

If we are to judge from the beautiful Missal lying open before Lady
Jane Grey, in Mr. Copley's elegant picture now exhibiting at the
British Institution, it would seem rational to infer that this amiable
and learned female was slightly attacked by the disease. It is to be
taken for granted that Queen Elizabeth was not exempt from it; and
that her great Secretary,[25] Cecil, sympathised with her! In regard
to Elizabeth, her _Prayer-Book_[26] is quite evidence sufficient for
me that she found the BIBLIOMANIA irresistible! During her reign, how
vast and how frightful were the ravages of the Book-madness! If we are
to credit Laneham's celebrated Letter, it had extended far into the
country, and infected some of the worthy inhabitants of Coventry; for
one "Captain Cox,[27] by profession a mason, and that right skilful,"
had "as fair a library of sciences, and as many goodly monuments both
in Prose and Poetry, and at afternoon could talk as much without book,
as any Innholder betwixt Brentford and Bagshot, what degree soever he
be!"

[Footnote 25: It is a question which requires more time for
the solution than I am able to spare, whether CECIL'S name
stands more frequently at the head of a Dedication, in a
printed book, or of State Papers and other political
documents in MS. He was a wonderful man; but a little
infected--as I suspect--with the BOOK-DISEASE.

----Famous Cicill, treasurer of the land,
Whose wisedom, counsell, skill of Princes state
The world admires----
The house itselfe doth shewe the owners wit,
And may for bew