tive country with her husband, and John Palsgrave, our author, accompanied his Royal Pupil. On his return he was appointed Chaplain to Henry VIII. taught the French language to divers of our young nobility, and became well beneficed. In 1531 he settled in Oxford for a time, and the next year being incorporated Master of Arts, was, in a few days afterwards, admitted to the degree of Bachelor of Divinity," and esteemed the first Author of our nation, (as honest Anthony says,) or of the Frenchmen, that had reduced the French tongue under certain rules, and the first in that kind of exercise that did begin to labour,” as plainly appears by this Esclarsissement, which is a thick folio, black letter, divided into three parts or books, and preceded by a copious Introduction in English. Dibdin, in his 3d vol. of Ames's Typographical Antiquities, mentions having seen and examined five copies; and Collations of the Book by Collins and Herbert are given at p. 366 of that work. It appears that Henry VIII. granted Palsgrave the exclusive right to the printing and profits of this book for seven years. "I never yet saw," says Wood, in his Athenæ Oxoniensis, "but one copy of this book, which, being filled with marginal notes (by whom I know not) in a scribbling hand, was bought by the learned Selden, and in his library at Oxon I perused it." Mr. Beloe, in his Anecdotes of Literature, vol. vi. p. 344, has given an account of this book from two copies in the possession of the Bishop of Ely and Mr. Douce; and Brunet, in his Manuel du Libraire, has given the collation of a copy, tom. iii. p. 8, in the Mazarine Library at Paris. Dibdin says, Palsgrave's book is so scarce as to be worth 217, at least. D The said John Palsgrave hath also (continues Wood) written several Epistles, and published a Translation of a Book, intituled, Ecphrastes Anglica in Comœdiam Acolasti. Or, the Comedy of Acolastus translated into our English Tongue, after such a manner as Children are taught in the Grammar School; first word by word as the Latin lyeth, and afterwards according to the sense and meaning of the Latin sentences, &c. 4to. Lond. 1540. Which scarce Play, at Farmer's sale, sold for 47. 5s. 6d. A copy at the sale of Hayley's library brought 227. 18. An account of this Play, which is a version of the Prodigal Son, written originally in Latin Verse by Guill. Fullonius,* may be found in Reed and Jones's Biographia Dramatica, where also an account of Palsgrave may be met with, but containing nothing more than the account given in Wood's Athenæ, but without any acknowledgment of the source whence derived. Dibdin, in his edition of Ames, vol. iii. p. 368, describes Palsgrave's translation of " Acolastus." It is also mentioned by Percy in his Reliques, vol. i. p. 134 (note p.) 2d edition, 1767, Porto (L.) Istoria di due Nobili Amanti (Romeo e Giulietta.) 8vo. Venice. No date. *See Brunet Manuel du Libraire for an account of the earliest editions of the Latin original. Porto (L da) Rime e Prosa-cioé la Giulietta Novella. 8vo. Venice. 1539. Di Gran Rarita. Pinelli, 57. 58. This is the earliest novel upon the unhappy loves of Romeo and Juliet, printed several years prior to that of Bandello on the same subject. There is a translation of it in the Res Literaria, noticed in the Gentleman's Magazine, Dec. 1, 1822. Clizia L'Infelice Amore di Giulia e Romeo, in ottava rima. 8vo. Venet. Giolito. 1553. Molini, Florence, 1807, 33 francs. Bandello's History of Romeo and Juliet was metrically paraphrased by Arthur Brooke, and printed by R. Tothill, 1562. Brydges, in Phillips's Theatrum Poetarum, 8vo. Canterbury, 1800, p. 128, says, "the Editors of Shakspeare have discovered this to have been the original of Shakspeare's Romeo and Juliet. Borde (Andrew.) A Boke of the Introduction of Knowledge, the which doth teache a man to speake part of all maner of languages, and to know the usage and fashion of all maner of countries, and for to know the most part of all maner of coins of money. 4to. Black letter. Imprint by William Copland. Without date. Dedicated to the Lady Mary, daughter of King Henry the Eighth-which dedication is dated from Mountpelyer, May 3, 1542. Pearson, 1788, 47. 15s. to Mr. Bindley. This book is partly written in verse and partly in prose, contained in 39 chapters, before each of which are wood cuts with representations of men. Before the first chapter, in which he has characterized an Englishman, is the print of a naked man, with a piece of cloth lying on his right arm, and a pair of sheers in his left hand, under which is an inscription in verse, of which the following are the four first lines: "I am an English Man, and naked I stand here, Musing in my mind what rayment I shall were: For now I will were thys, and now I will were that, And now I will were I cannot tell what," &c. Before the 7th Chapter is the portrait of the Author himself, standing in a pew with a canopy over it, habited in a loose gown with wide sleeves, and on his head a chaplet of laurel, with a book before him on a desk, with the following title of the said chapter beneath : "The VII Chapyter sheweth how the auctor of this Boke had dwelt in Scotland and other Ilands, and did go thorow and round about Christendom and out of Christendom declaring the Properties of all the Regions, Countries, and Provinces, the which he did Travel thorow." This Portrait, according to Herbert's Memoranda, served also for a Portrait of Skelton, Poet Laureat. See Dibdin's Ames, vol. iii. p. 160. Mr. Upcott edited a re-print of 100 copies of this curious tract, with wood-cuts, one of which is in Riyington's Catalogue for 1824, marked at 17. 11s. 6d. The cut of the Englishman from this reprint is given in Dibdin's account of it, who says of it in conclusion, "this is probably the most curious and interesting volume ever put forth from the press of Copland." Andrew Borde was a whimsical being, and said by Granger to have been Physician to Henry VIIIth; whether from his facetious mode of practice according to Phillips, or from the Harlequinism of his pursuits and writings, he gave rise to the name and character of MERRY ANDREW, seems uncertain: he appears to have applied his mind to many subjects, and, like most quacks, to have been equally confident in all. The Book of Knowledge, The Breviary of Health, The Dietary of Health, Merry Tales of the Mad Men of Gotham, Urines, are specimens of what he aimed at. According to Wood's Athenæ, vol. i. p. 61, folio, "It was Borde's practice, when living at Winchester, where, as at other places, it was his custom to drink water three days in a week, to wear constantly a shirt of hair, and every night to hang his shroud and socking, or burial sheet, at his bed's feet, according as he had done, as I conceive, while he was a Carthusian. "He always professed celibacy, and did zealously write against such Monks, Priests, and Friars, that violated their vow by marriage, as many did when their respective houses were dissolved by Henry VIII." This zeal caused his opponents to promulgate various scandalous stories, to the discredit of the Doctor's continence-for which see Athena Oxoniensis. "But letting these matters pass, I cannot otherwise but say," continues Wood," that our |