FIFTEENTH CENTURY.
circumstances which excite them are multiplied. If we trace back the progress of society to its primitive state, we shall find that the innocence of mankind is in an inverse ratio totheir advance- ment in knowledge. — Cromek^s Remains.
1427, Sep. 24. In a copy of the will of lady RaTensworth, the wife of lord Fitz-Hugh, are the following bequests : " Also I wyl yat my son Robert" (bishop of London) have a "Sauter, covered with rede velvet, and my doghter Mar- goiy a primer covered in rede, and my doghter Darev a sauter covered in blew, and my doghter Maulde Eure, a boke covered in blew, and yong Elizabeth Fitz-Hugh, my god-doghter, a boke covered in greene, with praires thereinne."
1427. In the accounts of St. Mary's church Stamford, is the following item : " mending the books, tenpence ; writing, twopence.
14^. The following curious depositions which were made by the enemies of the Lollards, will sufficiently prove that however violent were the measures pursued against them, and the various penances and imprisonments to which they were subjected, there were some found, who at eveiy hazard sought wisdom from the book of God. Nicholas Belward, of South Elmham, in Suffolk, was accused of having in his possession a New Testament, which he had bought in London, for four marks and forty pence, £2 \6i. 8d. a sum equivalent to more than jC40 at present; an astonishing price to have been ptudby a labouring man, for such Belward appears to have been : William Wright deposing that he " had wrought wlh him continually by the space of one year ; and studied diligently upon the said New Tesla- ment." Against Margery Bagskster it was de- posed, that she had desired Joan, the wife of one Cliffland, and her maid, to " come secretly in the night to her chamber, and there she should hear her fansband read the Law of Christ to them ; which Law was written in a book that her hus- band was wont to read to her ba night ; and that her husband was well learned in the christian verity." Against Richard Fletcher of Beccles, in Norfolk, "He is a most perfect doctor of that sect, and can very well and perfectly expound the HoIy Scriptures,and hath a book in the new law ■ffl English." Against Sir Hugh Pye, a priest, it was deposed, that he had " bequeathed to Alicet arrant to William White, a New Testament, •AichthCTthen called the book of the New Law, •ad was m the custody of Oswald Godfrey, of C^hester." Even the ability to read was enu- ■eiMed amongst the crimes of sect, by their nieat persecutors, for it is remarked in the de- tritions, that " William Bate, tailor, of Sything, and his wife, and his son, which can read Eng- M very well, is of the same sect ;" that " the dtogfater of Thomas Moone is partly of the same sect, and can read English ;" and that John Pert, late servant of Thomas Moone, is of the same uct, and can read well, and did read in the presence of William White." — Fox's Actes and Itomtmmtes.
1430. At the annual feast of the holy cross, at ■Abingdon, in Berkshire, twelve priests each re-
ceived fourpence for singing a dirge ; and the same number of minstrels were each rewarded with two shillings and fourpence, besides their diet and provender for their horses. This, among many other instances, proves that the minstrels were more amply remunerated than the clergy ; for we find that m this year, the prior de Maxlock gave sixpence for a sermon, to an itinerant doctor in theology, one of the Mendicant orders, who went about preaching to religious houses.
One of the most celebrated books in the annals of bibliography, is the richly illuminated missal executed about this period for John duke of Bedford, regent of France under Henry VI. By him it was presented to that king in the year 1430. It was probably left by Henry in the palace at Rouen, and fell into the bands of Charles VI. at the taking of that town Henry II. of France, afterwards possessed it, and affixed his arms to it. Through w-hose hands it passed from this time does not appear, till it is found in the possession of lady Worseley, (a descendant of William Sey- mour, second duke of Somerset, who was appoint- ed jgovemor to the prince of Wales, by Charles I.) wife of Sir Robert Worseley, bart of Appledur- combe, in the Isle of Wight. From her it was purchased by Edward, second earl of Oxford, from whom it descended to his daughter the duchess of Portland.*
This curious missal, eleven inches long, seven and a half wide, and two and a half thick, con- tains fifty nine large miniatures, which nearly occupy the whole page : and above a thousand small ones in circles of about an inch and half diameter, displayed in brilliant borders of golden foliage, with variegate<l flowers, Hcc. At the bottom of every page are two lines in blue and gold letters, which explain the subject of each miniature. The miniatures are in a good state for the time, and appear to be the woik of various artists, probably French or Flemish. The con- tents of these miniatures are in this account par- ticularly described. The subjects are symbols of the twelve months, historical paintings from the Scriptures, portraits of the duke and duchess of Bedford, with various paintings, designed as compliments to the noble owners of vLe book. Of tnese miniatures are given, in this work, copies accurately engraved, together with parti- cular descriptions of the numerous figures which they contain. A/ar simile is added of the attes- tation of the presenting of this manuscript to
- In January 1786, when the Bedford Miasal was on Sale,
with the rest of the Duchess of Portland's collection, king Geo. III. sent for his bookseller and expressed hU intention to become the purchaser. The bookseller ventured to Bubmit to his Majesty, that the article in question, as one fatghly curious was likely to (etch a high price. " How hish," exclaimed the klnfj. "Probably two hundred guineas," replied the bookseller. "Two hundred gruineaa for a Missal ! exclaimed the Queen, who was present, and lifted up her hands with astonishment. " Well, well," said his Majesty, " I'll have it stiU j but since the Queen thinks two hundred guineas so enormous a price for a Missal, I'll go no further." The biddings for the royal library did actually stop at that point i and Mr. Edwards carried off the prize .by adding three pounds more. The aanie Missal was afterwards sold at Mr. Edwards's sale, in 1819, and purchased by the Duke of Marlborough, for iM87. 15s.
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