which they should restore."

Thus flourished that Illustrious College of Antiquaries, whose
Meetings were chiefly held at Sir Robert Cotton's House (I). For they
had no publick Place for it. And therefore these Gentlemen
considering that they were but a private Society, which several
Accidents might either interrupt, or even dissolve, and did besides
want some Accommodations, in order to fix and perpetuate an
Institution so beneficial to the Publick, they resolved to apply to
the Queen for a Royal Charter, and for some publick Building, where
they would perform their Exercises; and intended to erect a Library
suitable to it. And they had the more reason to believe they could
obtain such a Grant, that the Queen, not contented with a superficial
Smattering of Learning, back'd with Conceit and Talkativeness, (which
is the highest pitch Persons of the first Rank do commonly arrive to)
was truly and solidly learned, and a real Encourager of Letters :
wherein she had the ready Concurrence of her Ministers, who were no
less conspicuous for their Learning, than for their Integrity and
consummate Wisdom. But as fair as the Hopes of this famous College
appeared in its Bloom, they were soon blighted by the Death of that
ever-memorable Princess, like those Fruits, which for want of the
Sun's genial Rays, cannot arrive at due Maturity. For all the
Applications they made for the same purpose to her Successor, proved
vain and unsuccessful. But what else could be expected from a Man who
never had a relish for polite Literature, or any kind of useful
Learning, and only delighted in pedantick scholastical Divinity; and
fancy'd himself the Wisest and most glorious Prince in the World,
(a second Solomon forsooth) if he could but scrible a Pamphlet against
Witches, or against tobacco: a Man, in short, whose Genius and Taste
were as low and mean, as his Soul and Inclinations! As for our