nd in
the suite of Prince, afterwards King, John! Judge of the anxiety of
certain antiquated families, especially of the Welch nation, which
stimulated them to open their choicest treasures, in the book way, to
gratify the genealogical ardour of our tourist!

[Footnote 255: There is a supplemental volume to the two
English ones, containing the only complete Latin edition
extant of the Welsh Itinerary. Of this impression there are
but 200 copies printed on small, and 50 on large, paper. The
whole work is most creditably executed, and does great
honour to the taste and erudition of its editor, Sir Richard
Colt Hoare, bart.]

[Footnote 256: "Having finished his topography of Ireland,
which consisted of three books, he published it at Oxford,
A.D. 1187, in the following manner, in three days. On the
first day he read the first book to a great concourse of
people, and afterwards entertained all the poor of the town.
On the second day he read the second book, and entertained
all the Doctors and chief scholars: and on the third day he
read the third book, and entertained the younger scholars,
soldiers, and burgesses."--"A most glorious spectacle (says
he), which revived the ancient times of the poets, and of
which no example had been seen in England." This is given by
Dr. Henry (b. iii., ch. 4, Sec. 2), on the authority of
Giraldus's own book, _De rebus a se gestis_, lib. i. c. 16.
Twyne, in his arid little quarto Latin volume of the
_Antiquities of Oxford_, says not a word about it; and, what
is more extraordinary, it is barely alluded to by Antony
Wood! See Mr. Gutch's genuine edition of Wood's _Annals of
the University of Oxford_, vol. i., pp. 60, 166. Warton, in
his _History of English Poetry_, vol. i., Diss. ii., notices
Giraldus's work with his usual taste and interest.]

LIS. I wish from my heart that Girald Barri had been somewhat more
communicative on this head!

LOREN. Of what do you suppose he would have informed us, had he
indulged this bibliographical gossipping?

LIS. Of many a grand and many a curious volume.

LYSAND. Not exactly so, Lisardo. The art of book-illumination in this
country was then sufficiently barbarous, if at all known.

LIS. And yet I'll lay a vellum Aldus that Henry the second presented
his fair Rosamond with some choice _Heures de Notre Dame_! But
pr