“John Bale, an intimate friend, and most fervent admirer of Leland, admits, in the Preface attached to his ‘_New Year’s Gift_,’ that he was not quite free from the weakness of boasting and vain-glory. An instance of this is to be found in the Commentary on that part of the ‘_Cygnea Cantio_,’ where he is speaking of London Bridge; and you will find the passage referred to in a work to which I have been greatly indebted for these notices of Leland and his writings:--‘_The Lives of those eminent Antiquaries John Leland, Thomas Hearne, and Anthony à Wood_,’ Oxford, 1772, 8vo., volume i., page 47, where it is also stated, that London Bridge was then the subject of much public attention. By far the most curious reference to Leland’s invective, however, is to be seen in an original Letter written from Hearne to Bagford, and preserved in the Harleian Collection of Manuscripts, No. 5910, Part iv. at the end; whence I shall give it you in all its original simplicity. ‘_Oxf. 11th July, 1714._ “‘SIR, ’Tis a pretty while since I received another part of your observations about London, together with some fragments and books, and a copy of Leland’s ‘_Encomia illustrorum virorum_.’ The gentleman who lent this copy is a person for whom I have a great honour, and I desire you would return him my service and thanks, altho’ I have already done this myself in a letter I writ to him. I should be glad to know whether he be Esq., or what other title I may call him by, if I should have occasion to make public mention of his name. I am extremely obliged to you for your care and trouble, and for your readiness to assist me. As for what Leland says about London Bridge, ’tis in the word _Pontifices_ in his Com. upon the ‘_Cygnea Cantio_.’ Some ignorant persons, and particularly one, had found fault with his making only _nineteen arches_, in London Bridge, when, as they alleged, there were _twenty_. Mr. Leland acknowledges there were _twenty cataracts_, or _passages_, but observes that one of them was only a sluice, or Draw-Bridge, and that there were only _nineteen stone arches_. Upon this he takes occasion to animadvert in short upon the aforesaid person, who had been so pert, and promises to take more notice of him afterwards, and at the same time to expose him according to his deserts. He tells us he had survey’d the whole City, and took notes of every thing of consequence in it, and insinuates that he would publish a most full and exact account of its History and Antiquities. ’Twas in this work the remarks of the aforesaid Observator were to be fully considered; but Mr. Leland dying before he could finish either this, or divers other undertakings, his papers came into other hands, and those about London (which were considerable) coming to Mr. Stowe, many of them are published in the Survey of London as Mr.