[Footnote 268: It is said of BOSTON that he visited almost every public library, and described the titles of every book therein, with punctilious accuracy. Pits (593) calls him "vir pius, litteratus, et bonarum litterarum fautor ac promotor singularis." Bale (p. 549, edit. 1559) has even the candour to say, "mira sedulitate et diligentia omnes omnium regni monasteriorum bibliothecas invisit: librorum collegit titulos, et authorum eorum nomina: quae omnia alphabetico disposuit ordine, et quasi unam omnium bibliothecam fecit." What Lysander observes above is very true: "non enim dissimulanda (says Gale) monasteriorum subversio, quae brevi spatio subsecuta est--libros omnes dispersit et BOSTONI providam diligentiam, maxima ex parte, inutilem reddidit." _Rer. Anglicar. Scrip. Vet._, vol. iii., praef. p. 1. That indefatigable antiquary, Thomas Hearne, acknowledges that, in spite of all his researches in the Bodleian library, he was scarcely able to discover any thing of Boston's which related to Benedictus Abbas--and still less of his own compositions. _Bened. Abbat._ vol. i., praef. p. xvii. It is a little surprising that Leland should have omitted to notice him. But the reader should consult Tanner's _Bibl. Britan._, p. xvii., 114.] There is a curious anecdote of this period in Rymer's Foedera,[269] about taking off the duty upon _six barrels of books_, sent by a Roman Cardinal to the prior of the Conventual church of St. Trinity, Norwich. These barrels, which lay at the custom-house, were imported duty free; and I suspect that Henry's third son, the celebrated John Duke of Bedford, who was then a lad, and just beginning to feed his bibliomaniacal appetite, had some hand in interceding with his father for the redemption of the duty. [Footnote 269: Vol. viii., p. 501. It is a Clause Roll of the 9th of Henry IV. A.D. 1407: "De certis Libris, absque Custumenda solvenda, liberandis;" and affords too amusing a specimen of custom-house latinity to be withheld from the reader. "Mandamus vobis, quod certos libros _in sex Barellis contentos_, Priori qt Conventui Ecclesiae Sanctae Trinitatis Norwici, per quendam Adam nuper Cardinalem legatos, et in portum civitatis nostrae predictae (Londinensis) ab urbe Romana jam adductos, praefato, Priori, absque Custuma seu subsidio inde ad opus nostrum capiendis, liberetis indilate," &c.] LIS. This DUKE OF BEDFORD was the most notorious bibliomaniac as well as warrior of his age; and, when abroad, was indefatigable in stirring up the emulation of Flemish and French artists, to execute for him the most splendid books of devotion. I have heard great things of what goes by the name of _The Bedford Missal_![270]