Phil. Yet I wish he had rambled (if you will permit me so to speak) a little more into book-men and book-anecdotes.
Lysand. You may indulge this wish very innocently; but, certainly, you ought not to censure Dr. Henry for the omission of such minutiæ.
Lis. Does he ever quote Clement, De Bure, or Panzer?
Lysand. Away with such bibliomaniacal frenzy! He quotes solid, useful and respectable authorities; chiefly our old and most valuable historians. No writer before him ever did them so much justice, or displayed a more familiar acquaintance with them.
Lis. Do pray give us, Lysander, some little sketches of book-characters—which, I admit, did not enter into the plan of Dr. Henry's excellent work. As I possess the original quarto edition of this latter, bound in Russia, you will not censure me for a want of respect towards the author.
Phil. I second Lisardo's motion; although I fear the evening presses too hard upon us to admit of much present discussion.
Lysand. Nothing—(speaking most unaffectedly from my heart) nothing affords me sincerer pleasure than to do any thing in my power which may please such cordial friends as yourselves. My pretensions to that sort of antiquarian knowledge, which belongs to the history of book-collectors, are very poor, as you well know,—they being greatly eclipsed by my zeal in the same cause. But, as I love my country and my country's literature, so no conversation or research affords me a livelier pleasure than that which leads me to become better acquainted with the ages which have gone by; with the great and good men of old; who have found the most imperishable monuments of their fame in the sympathizing hearts of their successors. But I am wandering—
Lis. Go on as you please, dear Lysander; for I have been too much indebted to your conversation ever to suppose it could diverge into any thing censoriously irrelevant. Begin where and when you please.
Lysand. I assure you it is far from my intention to make any formal exordium, even if I knew the exact object of your request.
Phil. Tell us all about book-collecting and Bibliomaniacs in this country—