There now remains but one more subject to be noticed—­and, then, farewell to this city—­and hie for Manheim, Paris, and Old England!  That one subject is again connected with old books and an old Monastery ... which indeed the opening of this letter leads you to anticipate.  In that part of the vast suburbs of Vienna which faces the north, and which is called the ROSSAU—­there stands a church and a Capuchin convent, of some two centuries antiquity:  the latter, now far gone to decay both in the building and revenues.  The outer gate of the convent was opened—­as at the Capuchin convent which contains the imperial sepulchres—­by a man with a long, bushy, and wiry beard ... who could not speak one word of French.  I was alone, and a hackney coach had conveyed me thither.  What was to be done. “Bibliothecam hujusce Monasterii valde videre cupio—­licetne Domine?" The monk answered my interrogatory with a sonorous “imo:”  and the gates closing upon us, I found myself in the cloisters—­where my attendant left me, to seek the Principal and librarian.  In two minutes, I observed a couple of portly Capuchins, pacing the pavement of the cloister, and approaching me with rather a hurried step.  On meeting, they saluted me formally—­and assuming a cheerful air, begged to conduct me to the library.  We were quickly within a room, of very moderate dimensions, divided into two compartments, of which the shelves were literally thronged and crammed with books, lying in all directions, and completely covered with dust.  It was impossible to make a selection from such an indigested farrago:  but the backs happening to be lettered, this afforded me considerable facility.  I was told that the “WHOLE LIBRARY WAS AT MY DISPOSAL!”—­which intelligence surprised and somewhat staggered me.  The monks seemed to enjoy my expression of astonishment.

I went to work quickly; and after upwards of an hour’s severe rummaging, among uninteresting folios and quartos of medicine, canon-law, scholastic metaphysics, and dry comments upon the decretals of Popes Boniface and Gratian—­it was rather from courtesy, than complete satisfaction, that I pitched upon a few ... of a miscellaneous description—­begging to have the account, for which the money should be immediately forthcoming.  They replied that my wishes should be instantly attended to—­but that it would be necessary to consult together to reconsider the prices—­and that a porter should be at the hotel of the Crown of Hungary, with the volumes selected—­to await my final decision.  As a book-bill sent from a monastery, and written in the Latin language, may be considered unique in our country—­and a curiosity among the Roxburghers —­I venture to send you a transcript of it:  premising, that I retained the books, and paid down the money:  somewhere about 6l. 16s. 6d.  You will necessarily smile at the epithets bestowed upon your friend.

Plurimum Reverende, ac Venerande Domine!