, and as the only
atonement which could be made to the injured name of Cotton,
as well as to the effectual _laying_ of his perturbed
spirit--was purchased by parliament, and transported within
the quiet and congenial abode of the BRITISH MUSEUM: and
here may it rest, unabused, for revolving ages! The
collection now contains 26,000 articles. Consult Mr.
Planta's neatly written preface to the catalogue of the
same; vide p. 39, 267, ante. And thus take we leave of the
ever-memorable bibliomaniac, Sir ROBERT COTTON, KNT.]

Equally celebrated for literary zeal, and yet more for bibliomaniacal
enthusiasm, was the famous SIR THOMAS BODLEY; whose account of
himself, in _Prince's Worthies of Devon_, and particularly in one of
_Hearne's publications_,[335] can never be read without transport by
an affectionate son of our Oxford _Alma Mater_. View this illustrious
bibliomaniac, with his gentleman-like air, and expressive countenance,
superintending, with the zeal of a Custom-house officer, the shipping,
or rather _barging_, of his books for the grand library which is now
called by his OWN NAME! Think upon his activity in writing to almost
every distinguished character of the realm: soliciting, urging,
arguing, entreating for their support towards his magnificent
establishment; and, moreover, superintending the erection of the
building, as well as examining the timbers, with the nicety of a
master-carpenter!--Think of this; and when you walk under the grave
and appropriately-ornamented roof, which tells you that you are within
the precincts of the BODLEIAN LIBRARY, pay obeisance to the portrait
of the founder, and hold converse with his gentle spirit that dwells
therein!

[Footnote 335: There are few subjects--to the bibliomaniac
in general--and particularly to one, who, like the author of
this work, numbers himself among the dutiful sons of the
FAIR OXONIAN MOTHER--that can afford a higher gratification
than the history of the BODLEIAN LIBRARY, which, like
Virgil's description of fame,

"Soon grew from pigmy to gigantic size."

The reader is therefore here informed, as a necessary
preliminary piece of intelligence, that the present note
will be more monstrous than any preceding one of a similar
nature. Let him, however, take courage, and only venture to
dip his feet in the margin of the lake, and I make little