Chalcographimaniacs, &c.

Great Editor, whose leaden mace (h),

With pedant K-mb-e just keeps pace,

Whose AITCHES and perverted ROOM
Shall stamp him A-s till day of doom (i).

old Quarto Plays, for which invaluable store he decorated the Library with some modern gay bound works by way of an equitable exchange.

(h) The commentaries of this theatrical madman most forcibly remind me of the statutes at large, which are most tremendous in bulk, without possessing much internal acumen to compensate for the burthensome expenditure to which the purchaser of his lucubrations is necessarily subjected.

(i) Our Thespian hero, who may well march hand in hand with the last mentioned annotator, has for a long series of years collected theatrical rarities with the most indefatigable industry; nor can it be denied that he has generally displayed a liberality of sentiment in the prosecution of his mania, which redounds much to his credit. If we regard him in the light of a scholar, he most

Chalcographimaniacs, &c.

These form a list with more to gloss it,

Not passing o'er the book-worm G—ss—t (j) :

For slaves of Bibliomanian speil,

Deserve my plaudits just as well;

As famous Chalcographian crew,

Whose feats are noted thus to view.

indubitably possesses classical acquirements; but like many other schoolmen, by endeavouring to prove himself superior to others, he has over-leaped the boundaries of decency; for

our court you know is haunted,

With a refined Traveller of Spain;

A man in all the world's new fashion planted,
That hath a mint of phrases in his brain ;
One whom the music of his own vain tongue
Doth ravish like enchanting harmony.

SHAKESPEARE.

(j) This little gentleman, of whom I shall again have cause to speak in the course of my poem, was one of the most determined auction-goers, and from his ceaseless comments in favour of lots,

The Hero's Mental Extacy.

With sages such as these to rank

His name, till then a simple blank :

Was now my hero's sole design,

Who dubb'd Collectors all DIVINE:

With smatt'ring thus from books secur'd,

At sales he 'longs to be enur'd;

So Auctioneer for pocket's prog,

Sends Catalogus

Catalogue.

With pride he wields the same in air,

The hour of sale his only care;

Nor did our Wellington e'en quaff
Delight so great with Jourdan's staff;

It was to him a trophy great,
Memorial of his envied state;

one would have imagined that he was pensioned by the Auctioneer; in short, it appeared as if nature had moulded his tongue into the shape of A PRETTY COPY.

The Hero's Mental Extacy.

In being thus to Auction courted,
An honour scarce to be supported :---

In state like this he struts along,

Unmindful of the passing throng;

With innate pride his feelings burn,

Cane-Catalogue he waves in turn ;

And takes his place as proud as Nero (k), Beside the chair of Hammer-hero:

Thus far the Muse her tale hath told,

And Catalogus fame enroll'd;

She now awhile for breath must pause,

In expectation of applause:

Her second flight with care shall trace,
The witching pathos-winning grace-

Of each grand flourisher of hammer,
Who tells with brazen front-a crammer :

(k) Maximus in minimis.

Catalogus in good Hands.

I would speak plainer by the bye;
If 'twere not vulgar to write-LIE:
Thus Catalogus thron'd in state,

I leave to Auctioneers and Fate;
To better hands I can't consign him,
So for the present-I resign him.