e bust of Leland in yonder niche of your library,
with a laureate crown upon its pedestal. And with almost equal
satisfaction did I observe, yesterday, during the absence of Philemon
and Lisardo at the book-sale, the handsome manner in which
Harrison,[321] in his _Description of England_, prefixed to
Holinshed's Chronicles, has spoken of this illustrious antiquary. No
delays, no difficulties, no perils, ever daunted his personal
courage, or depressed his mental energies. Enamoured of study, to the
last rational moment of his existence, Leland seems to have been born
for the "Laborious Journey" which he undertook in search of truth, as
she was to be discovered among mouldering records, and worm-eaten
volumes. Uniting the active talents of a statist with the painful
research of an antiquary, he thought nothing too insignificant for
observation. The confined streamlet or the capacious river--the
obscure village or the populous town--were, with parchment rolls and
oaken-covered books, alike objects of curiosity in his philosophic
eye! Peace to his once vexed spirit!--and never-fading honours attend
the academical society in which his youthful mind was disciplined to
such laudable pursuits!

[Footnote 321: "One helpe, and none of the smallest, that I
obtained herein, was by such commentaries as LELAND had
sometime collected of the state of Britaine; books vtterlie
mangled, defaced with wet and weather, and finallie
vnperfect through want of sundrie volumes." _Epistle
Dedicatorie_; vol. i., p. vi., edit. 1807. The history of
this great man, and of his literary labours, is most
interesting. He was a pupil of William Lilly, the first
head-master of St. Paul's school; and, by the kindness and
liberality of a Mr. Myles, he afterwards received the
advantage of a college education, and was supplied with
money in order to travel abroad, and make such collections
as he should deem necessary for the great work which even
then seemed to dawn upon his young and ardent mind. Leland
endeavoured to requite the kindness of his benefactor by an
elegant copy of Latin verses, in which he warmly expatiates
on the generosity of his patron, and acknowledges that his
acquaintance with the _Almae Matres_ (for he was of both
Universities) was entirely the result of such beneficence.
While he resided on the continent, he was admitted into the
s