lany that ever existed. The collector sets out with a catalogue of the Mayors and Sheriffs, the customs and charters of the City of London. Soon afterwards we have receipts to pickle sturgeon, to make vinegar, ink, and gunpowder; how to raise parsley in an hour; the arts of brewery and soap making; an estimate of the livings in London; an account of the last visitation of St. Magnus's Church; the weight of Essex cheese; and a letter to Cardinal Wolsey. The Nut Browne Mayde is introduced between an estimate of some subsidies paid into the Exchequer; and directions for buying goods in Flanders. Oldys, in his British Librarian, says this book cannot be better described than by a recital of the contents of the several chapters in the table or kalendar prefixed, which recital occupies three closely printed 8vo. pages, and may be referred to in the British Librarian, 8vo. 1738, p. 22, &c.

Warton's remarks on, and comparison of, the ancient and modern versions of the Nut Brown Maid, are well worthy of being turned to; and I am glad that the new edition in 8vo. of this work will enable any person of moderate means to do so.

There is a 4to. reprint ofArnold's book, edited by Mr. Douce, in the preface to which he conjectures the Nut Brown Maid to derive its origin from an old German Ballad, translated into Latin by Bebelius.

Tonstallus (Cuthb.) De Arte Supputandi, libri quatuor. 4to. Pynson. 1522.

See Dibdin's More's Utopia, vol. i. p. 20, for some account of Tunstal, and his Typographical Antiquities, vol. ii. for the full title and description of this book,

Granger says, this is the first Treatise on Arithmetic published in this country.

It is by no means a rare book, and I have seen more than one copy sell at a very cheap rate.

At Sir Peter Thompson's sale, in 1815, a copy was bought by Mr. Heber for 27. 16s.

Bishop Tonstall's own copy, upon vellum, is in the Public Library at Cambridge.

Boecius' Boke of Consolation. Folio. Printed by W. Caxton. At the Alchorne sale, 1813, an imperfect copy of this book sold for 537. 11s.

Tavestok. 1525.

Boecius, translated into English. 4to. West's sale, 31.; Dr. Askew, 51.; Forster, 77. 10s,; Mason, 177.; Gough, 271. 6s., (resold, being imperfect, for 147. 38. 6d.)

No Roman Writer appears to have been more studied and esteemed from the beginning to the end of the barbarous centuries than Boetius. "His Consolations of Philosophy" was translated into Saxon by King Alfred, and illustrated with a Commentary, by Asser, Bishop of St. David's.

See Warton's History of English Poetry, vol. ii. 8vo. p. 342.,

La Bible qui est toute la Sainte Ecriture, translatée en François par Robert Piérre Olivetan (aidé de Jean Calvin.) Folio. Neufchatel. De Wingle. 1535.

This is the first Bible published by the Protestants :copies in good preservation are difficult to be met with. The

Translator did not long survive the publication, having been poisoned at Rome the following year.*

A copy sold at Mr. Evans's auction-room, in 1818, for 4l. 14s. 6d.

Biblia Sacra Germanicé, ex recognitione Martini Lutheri. 2 vols. Folio. Vitemb. 1541.

The first edition of Luther's translation of the Bible.

At J. Edwards's sale in 1815, Luther's own copy, with Autographs and MS. insertions of Luther, Melancthon, &c. &c. was bought by G. Hibbert, Esq. for 897. 15s.

Bible. 4to. Printed by Bill and Barker.

John Bunyan's identical Pulpit Bible of this Edition, bound in morocco, and which had been his companion during his 12 years' unjustifiable confinement in Bedford grol, where he wrote his Pilgrim's Progress, was purchased at the sale of the library of the Rev. S. Palmer, of Hackney, March, 1814, for the late Samuel Whitbread, Esq. for the sum of 217.

This Bible, and the "Book of Martyrs," are said to have constituted the whole library of Bunyan during his 12 years' imprisonment. See his Life, at end of his "Heavenly Footman," p. 128.

I am indebted to Granger for the following animated account of Bunyan :

"John Bunyan, a well known Preacher and Writer of Antinomian principles, was son of a tinker in Bedfordshire, where he for some time followed his father's occupation. His conversion, as he informs us himself, began in the early part of his life, while he was at play with his companions; when he was suddenly surprized with a voice which said to him," Wilt thou leave

See De Bure Bibliographie, No. 52, and Beloe, vol. iii. p. 20; also D'Israeli's Curiosities, 2d series, vol. ii. p. 191, &c.

thy sins and go to Heaven, or have thy sins and go to Hell ?" upon which he lifted up his eyes in great amazement towards heaven, whence the voice came, and thought he saw Christ looking down upon him.* This had a great effect upon his mind: but he grew far more serious upon a casual conference which he held with four poor women of Bedford, upon the subject of the new birth. From that time he applied himself diligently to reading the Scriptures, and in a few years became a Preacher and Writer of note. He was long confined in the county gaol of Bedford for holding Conventicles: here he spent his time in preaching, writing books, and tagging laces for his support. After his enlargement, he travelled into many parts of the king dom, "to visit and comfirm the brethren." These visitations procured him the nick-name of Bishop Bunyan. When he arrived at the sixtieth year of his age, which was the period of his life, he had written books equal to the number of his years : but as many of these are on similar subjects, they are very much alike. His Master Piece is his " Pilgrim's Progress," one of the most popular, and I may add, one of the most ingenious books in the English Language.

Bunyan, who has been mentioned amongst the least and lowest of our writers, and even ridiculed as a driveller by those who have never read him, deserves much higher rank than is commonly imagined. His "Pilgrim's Progress" gives us a clear and distinct idea of Calvinistical Divinity. The allegory is admirably carried on, and the characters justly drawn and uniformly supported."

Biographical History of England, vol. iii p. 347-8 8vo. 1775.

66

* This is the substance of his own account in his “ Grace Abounding," which contains the History of his Conversion and many other particulars of his life.

Lesclarcissement de la langue Francayse, compose par Maistre Jehan Palsgrave, Angloys natyf de Londres, et Gradue de Paris. Thick folio. The Imprynting fynysshed by Johan Haukins, the XVIIIth day of July, the yere of our Lorde God 1530.

In most of my notices I have endeavoured to point out what I conceived to be either curious, valuable, or entertaining, and in pursuance of this plan, I present the above singular and rare production to my reader, as an honorable testimonial of the abilities of a Londoner, and as a singular proof, acknowledged by French Bibliographers, of the first attempt at reducing the French tongue to grammatical rules; and that effected by an Englishman, and as the title says natyf de Londres.

Our Author, according to that indefatigable Chronicler Anthony Wood, was born in London, and educated in Grammar learning there, studied Logic and Philosophy at Cambridge till he became Batchelor of Arts; afterwards went to Paris, where also spending several years in Philosophical and other learning, he took the degree of Master of the said Faculty, and became so excellently skilled in the French tongue, that he was thought fit and appointed to be tutor to the Lady Mary, daughter of King Henry VII. and sister to our King Henry VIII. when she was betrothed at the age of 18, from motives of state policy, to the aged and decrepid Monarch Louis XII. of France, who very shortly survived the consummation of this unequal match. On the death of this Monarch, Mary, now become Queen Dowager of France, was privately married to her first lover the Duke of Suffolk, and having made her peace with her Royal Brother for so degrading an act, returned to her na