At the dissolution of the monasteries, Leland made application to Secretary Cromwell, to entreat his assistance in getting the MSS. they contained sent to the king’s library.  In 1542 Henry presented him with the valuable rectory of Hasely, in Oxfordshire; the year following he preferred him to a canonry of King’s college, now Christchurch, Oxford, and about the same time collated him to a prebend in the church of Sarum.  As his duties in the church did not require much active service, he retired with his collections to his house in London, where he sat about digesting them, and preparing the publication he had promised to the world; but either his intense application, or some other cause, brought upon him a total derangement of mind, and after lingering two years in this state, he died on the 18th of April, 1552.

The writings of Leland are numerous; in his lifetime he published several Latin and Greek poems, and some tracts on antiquarian subjects.  His valuable and voluminous MSS., after passing through many hands, came into the Bodleian library, furnishing very valuable materials to Stow, Lambard, Camden, Burton, Dugdale, and many other antiquaries and historians.  Polydore Virgil, who had stolen from them pretty freely, had the insolence to abuse Leland’s memory—­calling him “a vain glorious man.”  From these collections Hall published, in 1709, “Commentarii de Scriptoribus Brittanicis.”  “The Itinerary of John Leland, Antiquary,” was published by the celebrated Hearne, at Oxford, in nine volumes, 8vo., 1710, of which a second edition was printed in 1745, with considerable improvements and additions.  The same editor published “Joannis Lelandi Antiquarii de Rebus Brittanicis Collectanea.” in six volumes, Oxon. 1716, 8vo.

BIOS.

[Footnote 4:  This was published by Bale in 1549, 8vo.]

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THE SELECTOR AND LITERARY NOTICES OF NEW WORKS.

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CORAL ISLANDS.

[In a recent Number of the MIRROR we quoted from Mr. Montgomery’s Pelican Island a beautiful description of the formation of coral reefs or rocks; and we are now induced to resume our extracts from this soul stirring poem, with the following description of the process by which these reefs or rocks become beautiful and picturesque islands.  Mr. Montgomery’s poetical talent is altogether of the highest order, or, to use a familiar phrase, his Pelican Island is “a gem of the first water.”  How exquisite is the following picture of creation!]

  Here was the infancy of life, the age
  Of gold in that green isle, itself new-born,
  And all upon it in the prime of being,
  Love, hope, and promise, ’twas in miniature
  A world unsoil’d by sin; a Paradise
  Where Death had not yet enter’d; Bliss had newly
  Alighted, and shut close his rainbow wings,