The words of matter here do rise, So fitly and so naturally, As heart can wish or wit devise, In my conceit and fantasy. The words well chosen and well set, Do bring such light unto the sense: As if I lacked I would not let To buy this book for forty pence. This was published in 1561. P. 78. _Wither._--Bevis of Hampton, a hero of early mediaeval romance. The story has been published by the Early English Text Society. Compare 'The common rabble of scribblers and blur-papers which nowadays stuff stationers' shops.'--MONTAIGNE. P. 79. _Fuller._--The other portion of this essay will be found on page 57. Arius Montanus was the court chaplain of Philip II of Spain, and he personally superintended the printing of the _Biblia Polyglotta_ (8 vols., 1569-73), the most famous of the books printed by Christophe Plantin. The printing office is one of the sights of Antwerp, whose council bought the property from Plantin's descendants in 1876 for £48,000. Compare also: 'Evil books corrupt at once both our manners and our taste.'--FIELDING. P. 80. _Addison._--Addison 'takes off the severity of this speculation' with an anecdote of an atheistical author who was sick unto death. A curate, to comfort him, said he did not believe any besides the author's particular friends or acquaintance had ever been at the pains of reading his book, or that anybody after his death would ever inquire after it. 'The dying Man had still so much the Frailty of an Author in him, as to be cut to the Heart with these Consolations; and without answering the good Man, asked his Friends about him (with a Peevishness that is natural to a sick Person) where they had picked up such a Blockhead?' It seems that the author recovered, 'and has since written two or three other Tracts with the same Spirit, and very luckily for his poor Soul with the same success.' P. 83. _Milton._--'For he [Pliny the Elder] read no book which he did not make extracts from. He used to say that "no book was so bad but some good might be got out of it."'--PLINY THE YOUNGER. P. 84. _Baxter._--'Richard, Richard, dost thou think we will let thee poison the court? Richard, thou art an old knave. Thou hast written books enough to load a cart, and every book as full of sedition as an egg is full of meat.'--Judge Jeffreys' address at Baxter's trial. P. 85. _Athenian Mercury._--An 'answer to correspondents'--the question 'Whether 'tis lawful to read Romances?' being asked in _The Athenian Mercury_. This, the first popular periodical published in this country, was started in 1691, and written by John Dunton, R. Sault, and Samuel (the father of John) Wesley; the last number appeared in 1697, and Dunton collected into three volumes the most valuable questions and answers under the title of _The Athenian Oracle_. Gray's wish was to be always lying on sofas, reading 'eternal new novels of Crébillon and Marivaux'.