THE

ENGLISH PORTION

OF

The Library

OF THE

VEN. FRANCIS WRANGHAM, M.A. F.R.S.

ARCHDEACON OF CLEVELAND.

Adeò sanctum vetus omne.

"How many square feet of reading," cried I, "are here collected!"

Malton:

PRINTED BY R. SMITHSON, JUN. BOOKSELLER AND STATIONER,
IN YORKERSGATE.

1826.

[Only Seventy Copies. ]

UNPUBLISHED.

PREFACE.

FROM

ROм my very childhood, the acquiring of Books has been my ruling passion. I can truly affirm, with an ancient Collector, εμοι Βιβλιων κτήσεως εκ παιδαριου δεινος εντετηκε ποθος.

BUT for a long while, by various untoward circumstances, I was prevented from indulging it; and the arrivals of new Volumes were 66 few, and far between." Even after my accession to ecclesiastical preferment, the necessity of laying out a considerable sum in repairs and other buildings (for which I neither pressed upon the diminished fortunes of my predecessor's family, nor availed myself of privileges which might have burthened the income of my successor) kept me, for some years, too poor to make many purchases.

AT length came better times. Shelves were successively put up, and-in some instances, doubly-filled. Convinced that

Men may find in olde bokys,

Whoso therin lokys,

Actes worthy of memory,

Full of knowledge and mystery;

(Kyng Boccus and Sydracke.)

I went on accumulating them, to the verification of the prophecy

of a witty neighbour, who predicted that 'they would creep over