Note 394 — The Drawing Room. (continued 4)

When the reader is informed that Paterson tells us, in the preface of this volume, that "In almost every language and science, and even under the shortest heads, some one or more rare articles occur; but in the copious classes, such as follow, literary curiosity is gratified, is highly feasted"—and that the author of this remark used, in his latter days, to hit his knee hard with his open hand, and exclaim—"By G——, Crofts' Catalogue is my chef d'œuvre, out and out"—when he reflects, I say, for a minute upon these two bibliographical stimuli, he will hasten (if he have it not already) to seize upon that volume of which the following is but an imperfect specimen of the treasures contained in it: "Bibliotheca Croftsiana: A Catalogue of the curious and distinguished Library of the late Reverend and Learned Thomas Crofts, A.M., &c. Sold by auction, by Mr. Paterson, in April, 1783," 8vo. This collection, containing 8360 articles, although not quite so generally useful as the preceding, is admirably well arranged; and evinces, from the rarity of some of the volumes in the more curious departments of literature, the sound bibliographical knowledge and correct taste of Mr. Crofts: who was, in truth, both a scholar and bibliomaniac of no ordinary reputation. I hasten to treat the reader with the following Excerpta Croftsiana: being a selection of articles from this catalogue, quite according with the present prevailing fashion of Book-Collecting: