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Quisquis hujusmodi operis sategerit, ei non tantum multum tædii & la-
boris devorandum, sed minime vulgaris conferenda in evolvendis Libris exer-
citatio. Frustra id aggrediuntur qui titulo tenus duntaxat sapiunt.-Maittaire.

LONDON:

PRINTED BY AND FOR WILLIAM SAVAGE,

28, BEDFORD BURY.

1808.

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PREFACE.

On the completion of the first volume of "The Librarian," the Editor begs leave to express his grateful thanks for the unsolicited patronage with which he has been honoured, and which he will make it his unremitting endeavour to deserve, by an industrious application to the objects he has undertaken to elucidate in this publication.

On'taking a retrospect of the contents of the present volume, he cannot help calling the attention of his readers to the importance of the matter contained in the Report of the Committee appointed to examine into the State of the Public Records of this Kingdom; that Report, and the returns made in answer to the inquiries of the Committee, embrace the most copious information relative to public papers of all descriptions, which has ever been laid before the public; and the extracts which the Editor has made from this Report, containing an Account of the Manuscript Department of the British Museum; of the Manuscript Libraries of the Royal Society, Society of Antiquaries, Heralds' College, Lincoln's Inn, the Middle Temple, and of the Archbishop of Canterbury, at Lambeth, will, he

trusts, be found to contain information of the most interesting nature, to every person who may direct his pur

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