( 4^6 ) 
Nor can I lefs admire the Magnificence of our Anceftors 
in other Matters relating to Books, befides the fair Wri- 
ring of them. How many had they written from the 
beginning to the end in Letters of Silver, or letters of 
Gold, or both, cover'd over with Plates of Mafly Silver, 
or Gold and Enammel, which are now either loft, or fa- 
crilegioufly torn from them? Notwithftanding which 
Barbarity, fome remain to us ft ill. Where do we fee 
Books fo richly painted and adorned now, as bur Fore- 
fathers caus'd theirs to be done ? The Bodleian Library- 
Keepers ftiewed me many ancient Books of this fort, fine- 
ly defigned and painted, by one of which it appeared, 
that half the Book took up near Six Years time to illu- 
minate it ; which however, was inferior to another they 
iliewed me, whole Workmanfhip upon a very moderate 
Computation, could coft little lefs than a Thoufand 
Pounds Sterling. And this I take to be an Argument 
likewife, of their Love to Learning, fince 'tis likely, that 
otherwife they would not have laid out fuch Sums of 
Money upon it: And who can tell, but that the Splen- 
dor and Magnificence of fome of their Books, has alone 
preferv'd them from Deftruftion I 
Laftly, the Rarity of Manufcripts, which make feme 
more fought after than others J is when fuch a Book is 
the atrroy^pov, or the beft, or the only Copy of fuch an 
Author, &c, or is written upon a carious or a defirable 
Subjedr. Of which forts, many often occur in thefe Ca- 
talogues. That I may omit the vaft Numbers of more 
recent Books, treating of our late Kings and Queens, 
their Policies and Intrigues, their Treaties and Negoti- 
ations, their Power and Force by Sea and Land • and the 
like of moft other Countries. With the Genealogies aqd 
Hiftpries of the Lives and Deaths of our moft eminent 
Sratefmen, Scholars, Soldiers, Lawyers, &c. the Heads 
of 
