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62 on this occasion provoked the bile of one who himself spent his whole life in authorship, which he vented, by remarking sarcastically, "that the reciprocal civilities of authors form one of the most risible scenes in the farce of life."

When the Religio Medici appeared, the Earl of Dorset had recommended it to the perusal of Sir Kenelm Digby, who returned his judgment upon it, not in a letter, but a book. Of this Browne had been informed by the officious zeal of some good-natured friend, and before the criticism actually appeared. While it was still in the press, the irritable author wrote a letter, entitled "Upon the Information and Animadversions to come forth upon the imperfect and surreptitious copy of Religio Medici. In it, he assures Sir Kenelm, "that that book was penned many years past, and with no intention for the press, or the least desire to oblige the faith of any man to its assertions; that it was contrived in his private study, and as an exercise unto himself, rather than an exercitation for any other; that it had passed from his hand under a broken and imperfect copy, which by frequent transcription had still run forward into corruption." "If," he writes, "when the true copy shall be extant, you shall esteem it worth your vacant hours to discourse thereon, you shall sufficiently honour me in the vouchsafe of your refutation, and I oblige the whole world in the occasion of your pen. Your servant,

The answer of Sir Kenelm Digby contained the following passages:—

"Worthy Sir,—Speedily upon the receipt of your letter of the third current, I sent to find