338 The Literary Treasures of Longleet, 
suited to the appetite of book-lovers of every species. I say “every,’’ 
because there are several varieties of book-lovers. Some like books 
for the old title-pages, some for the black letter, some for the illus- ~ 
trations, some for the bindings, and now and then a few for the 
contents. There are some of the most valuable works printed by 
Caxton, Wynkyn de Worde and other early brethren in the trade : 
and a very early edition, in black letter, of Chaucer, whose first editor, 
by the way, was Witttam Tuynnez, uncle to the builder of the very 
house in which you are assembled. A little volume called “Thealma ” 
bears the autograph of “Iz. Wa.”—Izaac Walton, the fisherman : 
and another book, a folio edition of Diogenes Laertius, which 
belonged to Bishop Ken and contains on the fly-leaf a Latin sentence 
in bis (very rare) handwriting, has been so constantly mquired 
for and inspected by the good bishop’s admirers that the binding 
is broken with frequent opening. 
Then there is a very fine copy of a work called “ Halstead’s Gen- 
ealogies.” This is a “ History of the Mordaunt Family,” (including 
that of others, as the Mauduits of Warminster,) printed under a 
fictitious name, in 1685; a work of which probably not more than 
twenty-five copies were printed, as only seventeen are known, one of 
which a few years ago sold for £240. Also a fine copy of Richard 
Grafton’s Bible, 1541. This appears to have been a present from 
some Royalty to Sir J. Thynne, the builder of Longleat, and in it he 
has written on the fly-leaves entries of the births, deaths and marriages 
in his family. Having seen the fine room you will easily understand 
But if precedency of death doth barre 
A fourth place in your sacred sepulchre 
Under this carved marble of thine owne 
Sleep, rare Tragedian SHAKESPEARE, Bleep alone. 
That unto Us and others it may bee 
Honor hereafter to bee layd by thee.” 
Below the verses another (also old) hand has written ‘‘ graphicé scribis.”’ 
These verses were composed by William Basse, and were very popular, being 
the earliest Elegy on Shakespeare. It was found ina MS. written after the 
year 1621, entitled ‘‘ Basse his Elegie on Poett Shakespeare who died in April, 
1616.” The lines, somewhat varying from the above, are printed in the Journal 
of the British Archeological Association, 1862, p. 281: where Mr. J. 0. Halli- 
well, the eontributor, observes that W. Basse had probably expected a cenotaph 
to be erected to Shakespeare in Westminster Abbey. 

