Sentence:  And now, upon this third morning after your departure, things are but little better; for though the lamp burns in my den, and Voet on the <WSD>Pandects</WSD> hath his wisdom spread open before me, yet as I only use him as a reading-desk on which to scribble this sheet of nonsense to Darsie Latimer, it is probable the vicinity will be of little furtherance to my studies. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  "Usually in the plural form" '''Pandects''': a compendium or digest of writings on Roman law divided in 50 books, compiled in the 6th century (dots=on) by order of the Eastern Roman emperor (Justinian I) ((short=yes)–565).