160 ANGLING SKETCHES 



Louis XIV. particularly admired and praised this 

 little poem, calling it ' a model of honourable 

 gallantry.' Clearly the grateful author had pre- 

 sented his own copy to the king ; and here it was, 

 when king and crown had gone down into dust. 



Allen showed me the book ; he could hardly 

 let it leave his hands. 



' Here is a pearl,' he had said, ' a gem beyond 



price 



' I'm afraid you'll find it so,' I said ; ' that is 

 for a Paillet or Rothschild, not for you, my boy.' 



' I fear so,' he had answered ; ' if I were to sell 

 my whole library to-morrow, I could hardly raise 

 the money ; ' for he was poor, and it was rumoured 

 that his mania had already made him acquainted 

 with the Jews. 



We parted. I went home to chambers ; Allen 

 stayed adoring the unexampled Longepierre. That 

 night I dined out, and happened to sit next a 

 young lady who possessed a great deal of taste, 

 though that was the least of her charms. The 

 fashion for book-collecting was among her inno- 

 cent pleasures ; she had seen Allen's books at 



