A PLEADER TO THE READER NOT A HEEDER! 
 
 AS all, my Friend, through wily knaves full often suffer wrongs. 
 
 Forget not, pray, when it you’ve read, to whom this Book belongs. 
 
 Than one Charles Clark, of Totham, none to it a right hath better,— 
 
 A wight, that same, more read than some in the lore of old black-letter 1 
 
 And as C. C. in Essex dwells — a shire at which all laugh 
 
 This Book must, sure, less fit seem drest if ’tis not bound in calf l— 
 
 1 hough of this sightly volume's worth the owner would not “croak ” 
 Where s he who can with truth assert it seems but one of smoke ! 
 
 Oh! if so twere deem’d I’d not defer to deal a fate most meet, 
 
 Jjr. ^T e car P er at these quires do penance in a sheet ! — 
 
 This Book, too, Friend, take care you ne’er with grease or dirt besmear it: 
 While none but awkward puppies will continue to “dog’s-e ar” it! 
 
 And o’er my books when book-worm* “ grub ,” I’d have them understand, 
 jNo marks the margins must deface from any busy “ hand /” 
 
 Marks, as re-marks, in books of Clark’s, whene’er some critic spy leaves 
 U hl . m , so r ^Hsh makes, though they’re but on the fly - leaves l * 
 
 1 he bttrick Hogg — ne’er deem’d a bore, — his candid mind revealing, 
 declares to beg “a copy ” now’s a mere pr e-text for stealing! 
 
 So as some knave to grant the loan of this my Book may wish me, 
 
 I thus my book -plate here display lest some such “fry” should “dish" me!— 
 But hold,— though I must just declare wiTH-holding I’ll ne’er brook. 
 
 And “a sea of trouble” still shall take to bring book-worms “to bookl"