to make a trade of an elegant pursuit! Bút all his family will depose, that he had bought till he had not wherewithal to buy; and never could be persuaded to part with any scarce print or fine impression-till his creditors laid hold of them all! The only thing he appeared to get a trifle by, was by SMOKING Some, to make copies look like originals!

CHAPTER XLIX.

One might point out LIGHT-FINGERED ANTIQUARIES in the present age!"

GOUGH' BRITISH TOPOGRAPHY, Vol. II. p. 123.

N. B. This must be considered as good as KING's EVIDENCE-for a nameless person, at the opening of the grave of Edward I. filched a finger from the helpless monarch-It was discovered on the spot, and extracted from a concealed pocket in a watchman's coat, borrowed for the occasion.

OF ILLUSTRIOUS THIEVES-THIEVERY, ITS MORALITY AND NECESSITY TO COLLECTORSHOW MY UNCLE HAS AN EMPEROR UNDER HIS THUMB-HOW SICK MY UNCLE WAS OF MICHAEL ANGELO'S RING! - AND HOW HE SLEPT WITH AN ILLUSTRIOUS PRINCE!

I DO

Do not mean to conceal, that when my Uncle had exhausted two landed estates and all his personal property in his various col

lections, that then he thought he might supply himself by another way than by that of purchase!

My Uncle distinguished literary thievery into two kinds, and objected to neither! In the Republic of Letters my Uncle was a Lycurgus, allowing his Spartans to steal from one another, and only punishing the BUNGLERS!

But of that other kind of POPULAR THIEVERY, respecting which the world do not differ in opinion — provided that the goods and chattels stolen were literary, Jacob unreservedly defended the practice.

As I had some weak prejudices, he tranquillized my conscience-proving it was for the benefit of our family.

1

He said the civilians, in their definition of LARCENY, observe that the goods must be taken cum studio lucri-with a love of lucre! On this principle they, therefore, do not include the common instance of a hungry person stealing meat. Now, of collectors, who purloin a book—a medal—or a print—their pilfering is not an act of lucre; they do not steal to sell; nor for the intrinsic value; and in no wise cum studio lucri! They are poor men stealing meat! Such a criminal at the bar would only excite our compassion !

He would shew the MORALITY of this theory. It is meritorious to steal a brass medal, or an old play-not worth a groat, to save a man from purchasing them at fifty guineas! In justice to his family, in these things -it is honester to STEAL than to