SIXTEENTH CENTURY.
•ioa
a Latin scholar. He was a iiatire of Toulouse, and an Augustine monk. He was not only the king's poet laureate, as it is supposed, but his historiographer, and preceptor in grammar to prince Arthur. He obtained many ecclesiastical preferments in England. All the pieces now to be found, which he wrote in the character of poet laureate, are in Latin. These are, An Ad- dress to Henry die Eighth for the most auspicious begisuung of the tenth year of his reign, with an EpUhalamium on the mamage of Francis the Dtatplun of France with the King's Daughter. — A New Year's Gift for the year 1516. And verses wishing prosperity to his majesty's thir- teenth year. He has left some Latin hymns : and many of his Latin prose pieces, which he wrote in the quality of historiographer to both monarchs, are remaining.
John King, his successor, was followed by Skelton, upon whose testimony we learn that Gower, Chaucer, and Lydgate enjoyed no such distinction : they wanted nothing out the laurel. Then came a splendid train of names: Spenser, Daniel, Jonson, Darenant, and Diyden.— Shad- weU united the offices of poet laureate and his- loiiographeT, and by a manuscript account of the public revenue, it appears that for two years salary he received iC600. At his death Rymer became historiographer, and Tate the laureate; who was succeeded by Rowe, Eusden, and Cib- ber. WUliam Whitehead was the forerunner of Thomas Warton ; and Henry Pye, the harbinger «f Mr. Southey, known no less for his vast lite- rary attainments and poetic genius, than for his exemplary virtues.
The form of creation of three laureate poets at Strasburg, in 1621, is very remarkable : "I create vou, being placed in a chair of state, aownea with laurel and ivy, and wearing a ring of gold, and the same do pronounce and consti- tnte poHs laureates in the name of the Holy Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Gjiost.— Amen."
1506, Nov. 10. Pope Julius IL enters trium- phantly the captured city of Bologna : and upon this important occasion Michael Angelo modeUed a statue of him. The air and attitude of the statue ft said to have been grand, austere, and m^estic: in one of the visits he received from his holiness, the pope making his observations and remarks with nis accustomed familiarity, asked if the extended right arm was bestowing a blessing or a curse on the people ? To which Michael Angelo replied, " The action is only meant to be hostile to disobedience ;" and then asked the pontiff whether he would not have a book put into the other hand .'* Julius facetiously answered, " No, a sword would be more adapted to my character ; / am no book man." Julian de le Rovere, pope Julius II. died Feb. 21, 1513.
1506. The (Mfynarye of Crysten Men. En- frynted ta the Cute of London in tlie jUte itrete at the sygne of die sonne by Wynkyn de Worde, the year of OUT lorde mxcccctj. Quarto.
The Imv. T. F. Dibdin, in his Bibliomania, second edition, page 169, describes this singular
work. The title is cut on wood, in large square letters over a print representing tlie inside of a gothic church, with three persous at confession, one of whom is a female receiving absolutiou. On sign. A. j. is a supposed portrait of the author, a priest sitting at an ancient reading desk with books ; but this engraving is common to many volumes of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. This edition contains 218 leaves. A single spe- cimen is all that we can give of the contents of this extraordinary volume: — the decalogue is thus summed up in one of the engravings —
One only God fhon sbalt lone uid worship peifytelf . God in ■n.ynt thou slwit not nrac by nor othrr \y)LK. The Sondays tbou ahilt kepe and terae God (teaoatly. Fader and moder thoa abalt booor to tbende that tbou
Ijae longre. No man thoa thalt ile in dede nor wyllTngljr. Lechery thoa shalt not do, oT body ne at conaent. No mennei godea thoa abalt not stele, nor witbolde. Fall wytnea thoa abalt not bere nor iye in ony wyae. The weikes of the fleah thou desyre not bat in maiyace. Other menes (odes thoa shalt not cooeyt to haae aqJosUy.
1506. Bagford, in his manuscripts, mentions one John Disle, a printer in London, widiout naming any work done by him.
1507, March 3. The following instance will show what incredible pains were taken to collect books, at immense expense ; and to avoid the thunders of the church, that were directed against any persons who should purloin or disperse the volumes belonging to the various monastic in- stitutions. This fact is afforded by an epistle, addressed by the cardinal legate, George of Am- ba-sia, to the canons of Bruges, from whom he had borrowed Hiliary on the Psalms.
" George of Ambasia, presbyter of St. Sixtus, cardinal of Rouen, legate of the apostolic see, to his dear friends the venerable the fathers, the canons, and chapter, of the sacred chapel of Bruges ; wisheth peace.
" Having been informed that in the library of your sacreo chapel, there was an ancient copy of Hiliary of Poitiers on the Psalms ; and taking great delightin literary pursuits, especially those which regard our holy religion, so far as our weak abilities will permit ; we requested from your paternal kindness the loan of uiat book for a few days, to which you courteously acceded, notwithstanding the Pontifical Bull, which for- bade any books being taken away from the library under pain of excommunication.
" Wnerefore, having read the book with con- siderable pleasure, we have resolved to have it copied ; for which purpose it will be requisite to have it in our possession for some months, though we intend, after it has been transcribed, to return it uninjured to your paternal care. We, therefore, absolve you from whatever cen- sures or punishments, you might incur by lending the book ; and by the authority with which we are invested, do hereby pronounce and declare you absolved, notwithstanaing any thing to the con- trary, contained in the aAiresaid bull, or in any other.
" Given at Bruges, the third day of March MDTii. Geoige, cardinal-legate of^ Rouen." 1507. In this year preparations were com-
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