Scribbleomania Or, The Printer's Devil's Polichronicon. A Sublime Poem. Edited by Anser Pen-drag-on [i.e. S. W. H. Ireland] |
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Catalogue Makers.
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Catalogue Makers.
Id maximè quemque decet, quod est cujusque suum maximè.
That best becomes every man which he is by nature intended to perform.
Recorded the last of our versatile band,
Compilers for Catalogues here take their stand;
A Britton, by Stafford's great Marquis selected,
Enrolling of Painters, his samples collected;
A print-vending phalanx of portraits rare judges,
With Flindal that, fool-like, in zany's track trudges;
Who catalogue works of the ancient engravers.
All these with long list hath the Printing Art noted,
So Scribblecumdash thinks their toils should be quoted;
Since aught that pertains to the Press he must Hook,
Or Printer's black devils will call him to Book;
So greeting each imp in his true inkish plight,
For breath he must pause ere he 'gins a new flight.
Mr. Britton has published, under the auspices of the Marquis of Stafford, a descriptive catalogue of that nobleman's choice collection of pictures, which is not one of this writer's happiest efforts. Mr. Dibdin is engaged in writing a list of the classical library of the Earl of Spencer, which will no doubt be handled with becoming acumen, as the writer in question has so long made ancient and valuable literature his unceasing study. With respect to engravings, a man of the name of Flindal has issued forth a production replete with nothing but errors, while the Chaleographiana, a mere reprint of marked catalogues, with a few annotations on the mania of portrait collecting, has also been ushered forth by Mr. Caulfield, so well known among the collectors and illustrators of Granger, Clarendon, &c. &c. I shall refrain from burdening my page with more writers of this class, who, generally speaking, possess, like Mr. Oldys, but a slender portion of genius or classical learning, but, like the lastmentioned personage long since defunct, are in every respect calculated for index reading, a knowledge of title-pages, and a perfect insight as to every thing connected with scarce English books, their different editions, &c. in which dry walk Mr. Oldys was never surpassed.
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