Page:The Library, volume 5, series 3.djvu/372

358 SOME ROGUERIES OF placing side by side a passage from Wyer's e Com- post ' and the translation of the French ' Compost et Kalendrier des Bergiers,' printed by Julian Notary in 1 5 1 8, or by Wynkyn de Worde in 1 528, the familiarity is explained and the puzzle dis- appears. 1 A portion of the author's prologue will suffice. Differences are indicated by italics : FROM c TnE KALENDER OF FROM PTOLEMY'S SHEPHERDES.' c COMPOST.' As here before tyme there Ptholomeus saythe / that was a Sheparde kepynge Shepe lyuynge and dyeng is all in the feldes / whiche was no at the pleasure of almyghty clerke ne had no vnderstand'tge god. Yet he sayth that a ofy e letterall seme / nor of no man may lyue by the course maner of scripture norwrytynge of nature Ixxii yere or more. / but of his naturall wytte & vnderstadtge sayd. How be it y l lyuynge & dyenge be all at y e pleasure of almyghty god. Yet mS may lyue by y e course of natur. Ixxii. yer or more . this was his reaso. And he saith as moche tyme And he sayth also as moche as a man hath to growe in tyme/asaman hath togrowe beaute/ length/ bredeth and in beaute/length/bredthe/ strength. So moche tyme and strengthe. So moche hath he to waxe olde and tyme hathe he to waxe olde feble to his ende : But the and feble to his ende. But terme to growe in beaute/ the terme to growe in beaute hyghte / and strengthe /is / hyghte and strength is . 1 Dr. H. Oskar Sommer ('The Kalender of Shepherdes. . . .' London, 1892) in his reprint of the Paris 1503 translation and Pynson's edition 1506, includes Notary's prologue in the pro- legomena, pp. 38-9, and I have depended on the text there given. The text of the ' Compost ' is that of Wyer's earlier edition.