Writers ... are apter to be beholding to books than to men, not only as
the first are more in their possession, being more constant companions
than dearest friends, but because they commonly make such use of
treasure found in books as of other treasure belonging to the dead and
hidden under ground; for they dispose of both with great secrecy,
defacing the shape or images of the one as much as of the other, through
fear of having the original of their stealth or abundance discovered.
And the next cause why writers are more in libraries than in company is
that books are easily opened, and learned men are usually shut up by a
froward or envious humour of retention, or else unfold themselves so as
we may read more of their weakness and vanity than wisdom, imitating the
holiday-custom in great cities, where the shops of chandlery and slight
wares are familiarly open, but those of solid and staple merchandise are
proudly locked up.--SIR W. DAVENANT. _Gondibert._