He says of Rector of Methley, in Yorkshire. himself, Cantabrigiensis sum et genere et vitæ instituto. The copy of the Hygieina, which is in the British Museum, was formerly in the possession of the celebrated Humfrey Wanley, and has his autograph. Note The treatise De Dyscrasia, &c. is the second part of the tract De Sanitate tuenda. ARS MEMORATIVA. (Jacobi Publicii) Ars Memorativa. 4to. Goth. Fig. A VERY curious and scarce book, which, as Mr. Douce is of opinion, was the earliest with wooden cuts, that was printed with moveable types. Denis (I use, with his permission, the words of Mr. Douce) affirms, in his Supplement to Maittaire, that it was printed at Cologne. This opinion seems to be founded on the resemblance of its type to that which was used by Ulric Zell. The capital letters, however, are different from those in a copy of Petrarch's Historia Griselidis in the possession of Mr. Douce, as well as from the engraved specimen in Meerman, Tab. Ix. In the Catalogue of the Valliere Library, No. 1856, it is said to have been printed by J. Guldenschoff, of Mayence, but who, according to Maittaire, was of Cologne. The volume consists of fourteen leaves, each page containing twenty-seven lines. The following is a specimen of the contents. I must, however, remind the reader that the original is in the Gothic character, with so many and complicated abbreviations, as to render it by no means easy of perusal. Nonnihil etiam ad hac re opis onomatopeia nobis affert ide agminio ubi e sono vocis ducta. Sic eminet taratantara dixit. Equi hynnitus mugitusque bou balatūq. grege. Strix nocturna et vespertilio stridet, bübitus apium grus gruit crastinat corvus tu corvo voce notat barritus a barro ululat ulule pität accipitres et alia quæ plurima sunt usu et cōsuetudine vocis sonitu ymagines pbebunt. The engravings on wood are of very rude execution, representing a book, part of a town, an old man sitting in a chair, horses. The book was, beyond doubt, printed between 1460 and 1470. The author, Jacobus Publicius, was a Florentine, concerning whom, if the reader wishes for further particulars, he may consult Fusii Bibliotheca Gesneri, p. 382, and Fabricii Biblioth. Media Etatis, iv. 42. Maittaire Maittaire was not acquainted with this edition; and some authors have attributed it to George Sibut. See the Valliere Catalogue, Preface, p. xvi. The Valliere Copy sold for 110 livres. Besides the copy in the Museum, Mr. Douce has one, but I know of no other. ENGLISH POETRY. MY friend Mr. Douce accommodated me, for the purpose of this publication, with a very curious and scarce treatise, containing Observations on the Art of English Poesie, by Thomas Campion. Mr. Isaac Reed obligingly furnished me with the answer to the treatise, by Daniel, entitled "A Defence of Ryme." I was about to describe these two tracts, when Mr. G. Chalmers, whose knowledge of English Literature can only be exceeded by the promptitude with which he communicates his resources to his friends, recommended to me to enlarge my plan, and give a succinct account of such essays on the subject of English Poetry as are most remarkable for their scarcity and value. At the same time, he, with the greatest kindness, supplied me with various materials, and the loan of such books as are not to be found in the Museum. Indeed his communications were so ample and so satisfactory, that little has been left or fme, except to methodize and arrange them. The first publication which we have upon the subject, is found in a most rare volume, which contains tracts written by King James I. The book itself is so very scarce that I may well be excused for minutely describing its contents. It is in quarto, printed at Edinburgh by Thomas Vautrouiller in 1585. James was born on the 19th of June, 1566, and he was consequently only nineteen years of age when he produced this work. It is called "The Essayes of a Prentise in the Divine Art of Poesie," and consists of seven different tracts. 1. The Twelve Sonnets of Invocations to the Goddis. 2. The Uranie, or Heavenly Muse translated. 3. The Metaphoricall Inventioun of a Tragedie callit Phoenix. King James, in his Treatise on the Art of Scotish Poetry, speaks of sundry writers who had written on the same subject in English, but the only one I remember to have traced is Gascoigne, at the end of whose poems in 1575, and again with his works in 1587, was printed "Certayne Notes of Instruction concerning the making of Verse or Ryme." 4. A 4. A Paraphrasticall Translatioun out of the Poete Lucane. 5. A Treatise of the Airt of Scottis Poesie. 6. The cria Psalme of David, translated out of Tremellius. 7. A Poeme of Tyme. Of these articles, the fifth, or Treatise of the Airt of Scottis Poesie is singularly curious, as may sufficiently appear from the following short specimen. For flyting or Invectives vse this kynde of verse following: call it Rouncefalles, or Tumbling Verse. In the hinder end of harvest upon Allhallow Eue There an elf on ane ape ane ursell begat Besyde a pot baith auld and worne, For compendious praysing of any bukes, or the authouris theirof, or ony argumentis of other historeis quhair sindrie sentences and change of purposis are requyrit, use Sonet verse, of fourtene lynis and ten fete in every lyne. |