is greatly to the credit of the rich and busy man to spend his time and
riches in the collection of a fine library, but still greater honour is
due to the poor man who does not allow himself to be pulled down by his
sordid surroundings. The once-famous small-coalman, Thomas Britton,
furnishes a most remarkable instance of true greatness in a humble
station, and one, moreover, which was fully recognized in his own day. He
lived next door to St. John's Gate, Clerkenwell, and although he gained
his living by selling coals from door to door, many persons of the highest
station were in the habit of attending the musical meetings held at his
house. He was an excellent chemist as well as a good musician, and Thomas
Hearne tells us that he left behind him "a valuable collection of musick
mostly pricked by himself, which was sold upon his death for near an
hundred pounds," "a considerable collection of musical instruments which
was sold for fourscore pounds," "not to mention the excellent collection
of printed books that he also left behind him, both of chemistry and
musick. Besides these books that he left, he had some years before his
death (1714) sold by auction a noble collection of books, most of them in
the Rosicrucian faculty (of which he was a great admirer), whereof there
is a printed catalogue extant, as there is of those that were sold after
his death, which catalogue I have by me (by the gift of my very good
friend Mr. Bagford), and have often looked over with no small surprize and
wonder, and particularly for the great number of MSS. in the
before-mentioned faculties that are specified in it."[5]

Dr. Johnson, although a great reader, was not a collector of books. He was
forced to possess many volumes while he was compiling his Dictionary, but
when that great labour was completed, he no longer felt the want of them.
Goldsmith, on the other hand, died possessed of a considerable number of
books which he required, or had at some time required, for his studies.
"The Select Collection of Scarce, Curious, and Valuable Books, in English,
Latin, Greek, French, Italian, and other Languages, late the Library of
Dr. Goldsmith, deceased," was sold on Tuesday, the 12th of July, 1774, and
the Catalogue will be found in the Appendix to Forster's Life. There were
30 lots in folio, 26 in quarto, and 106 in octavo and smaller sizes. Among
the books of interest in this list are Chaucer's Works, 1602; Davenant's
Works, 1673; Camoens, by