330 tEA'VES THEY liAVE fOUCHED. 



BfiediseVal periods, witli etchings of the ancient moniiments, tombs 

 and tablets on which they are carved. These are from Rome and 

 other cities of Italy. In this book of Richard Heber's I can lay my 

 hand on some inscriptions whicli on occasion one might search for in 

 Vain in many quarters : for example, the epitaphs of Angelas Poli- 

 tianns, Marcilius Ficinus, Leonardns Aretinus, Laufentins Yalla, 

 Musurus, Heron. Alexander, Bessarion, Sadoletus, Joh. Picus Miran- 

 dula, Paulus Jovius, Raphael MaffeeiiS, Joh. Jovianus Pontanus, 

 Poggiiis Brandoliniis, Bartholomseus de Saliceto, Gratianils ClusinuS) 

 Accursius, to say nothing of those of Dante, Ariosto, Pettai'ch. 



A second relic of Richai'd Hebet which I possess is a bound Cata« 

 logTie of the library of James West, President of the Royal Society, 

 who died July 2, 1772. This book bears the usual stamp, Biblio'- 

 theca Heberiana ; but besides, its value is very greatly enhanced by 

 two or three sentences, very characteristic of a connoisseur of books, 

 Written on a fly-leaf by the hand of Mr. Heber himself. A quondam 

 ownef of the Catalogue, Mr. F. 0. West, probably a relative of the 

 iate president's, just beloAv his own signature, writes, " Vide MS. 

 note in Mr. Heber'g handwriting, on the Opposite leaf." On this leaf 

 accordingly we have the following remarks on the Catalogue of books 

 before us : " This is the original auction Catalogue," Mr. Heber 

 records, " by which it was intended to sell the ' large and noble 

 library' of James West, Esq., President of the Royal Society. The 

 friends of the deceased, however," Mr. Heber goes on to inform us, 

 *' judging it, very pi'operly, deplorably insufficient, directed it to be 

 cancelled; and employed Samuel Paterson at a short notice to com- 

 pose the whole afresh, It is curioils to compare the two Catalogues," 

 Mr. Heber says, "if it were only to show how little can be known 

 of the value of the most curious library when ignorantly and unskil- 

 fully described." He then subjoins, " Paterson used to quote exult- 

 ingly the testimony of Topham Beaucierc, who declared to him with 

 an oath, that on looking over his Catalogue he could not believe it 

 to be the same collection."— This mention of Topham Beauclerk again 

 brings us near Dr. Johnson. He Was a youthful club-associate of 

 the Doctor's, and when he died. Dr. Johnson said that " Topham 

 Beauclerk's talents were those which he had felt himself more dis* 

 posed to envy than those of any Avhom he had known." He was a 

 son of Lord Sidney Beauclerk's, and a grandson of the Duke of St. 

 Albans.^' My copy of Hornius de Originibus Americanis, Hagm 



