may tell his own story, which I find in the Museum copy, p.
336, and which copy appears to be a _second_ attempt; for of the _first_
Langbaine we have this account:--

When I left London in 1724, to reside in _Yorkshire_, I left in the
care of the Rev. Mr. Burridge's family, with whom I had several years
lodged, among many other books, goods, &c., a copy of this
"Langbaine," in which I had wrote several notes and references to
further knowledge of these poets. When I returned to London, 1730, I
understood my books had been dispersed; and afterwards becoming
acquainted with Mr. T. Coxeter, I found that he had bought my
"Langbaine" of a bookseller who was a great collector of plays and
poetical books: this must have been of service to him, and he has
kept it so carefully from my sight, that I never could have the
opportunity of transcribing into this I am now writing in the notes I
had collected in that.[348]

This _first_ Langbaine, with additions by Coxeter, was bought, at the
sale of his books, by Theophilus Cibber: on the strength of these notes
he prefixed his name to the first collection of the "Lives of our
Poets," which appeared in weekly numbers, and now form five volumes,
written chiefly by Shiels, an amanuensis of Dr. Johnson. Shiels has been
recently castigated by Mr. Gifford.

These literary jobbers nowhere distinguished Coxeter's and Oldys's
curious matter from their own. Such was the fate of the _first_ copy of
Langbaine, with _Oldys's notes_; but the _second_ is more important. At
an auction of some of Oldys's books and manuscripts, of which I have
seen a printed catalogue, Dr. Birch purchased this invaluable copy for
three shillings and sixpence.[349] Such was the value attached to these
original researches concerning our poets, and of which, to obtain only a
transcript, very large sums have since been cheerfully given. The Museum
copy of Langbaine is in Oldys's handwriting, not interleaved, but
overflowing with notes, written in a very small hand about the margins,
and inserted between the lines; nor may the transcriber pass negligently
even its corners, otherwise he is here assured that he will lose some
useful date, or the hint of some curious reference. The enthusiasm and
diligence of Oldys, in undertaking a repetition of his first lost
labour, proved to be infinitely greater than the sense of his unrequited
labours. Such is the history of the escapes, the changes