Page:The battle of the books - Guthkelch - 1908.djvu/253

Rh I pray, what interest, what passion, could I serve by hindering them? I could have no pique against the Editor, whom I had never seen nor heard of before; and who, as soon as I heard of him, both deserved and had my respect, upon account of his relation to a person of glorious memory. Neither could I envy him the honour of publishing the MS. or repine that such an opportunity of getting fame was taken out of my own hands; for I suppose my Dissertation alone is a convincing argument, that I myself had never any design of setting out Phalaris.

But I have a better proof still behind, of my sincerity in lending the MS. though I cannot produce it without accusing myself. For it's the duty of my place to let no book go out of the King's Library without particular order. This the learned Dr Mill and several others know, who having occasion for some books in the time of my predecessor, were obliged to procure His Majesty's warrant for them. If it were my design, then, to keep the book out of the Editor's hands, what fairer pretence, what readier excuse, could be wished than this? 'that I was ready to serve the gentleman to the utmost of my power; but it was a