1

the hope of obliging him to be more attentive, refused to answer any further demand till the work should proceed less negligently.

Meeting with this unexpected refusal, and fearing the impatience of his creditors, Mr. Gosmond secretly left the kingdom, and carried many of the plates with him. What became of him after his return to the Continent is uncertain; enquiries were made, but they proved ineffectual. Probably, as no work bearing his name has appeared, he died soon after his return to his native country.

From this unlucky accident the Duke was frustrated in his purpose, nor was he enabled to make up a few sets for his friends, of what even were done; for either impressions of several the plates were not taken, or if they were, they had been carried away by Mr. Gosmond. It does not appear what the number of plates left in the possession of the Duke amounted to. The Rev. C. Cracherode, whose taste and munificence are well known, could never obtain, though he made it an object, more than

But the scarcity of these plates may be collected from the following anecdote in Mr. West's Catalogue of Books.

"No. 2790. The Duke of Devonshire's Ca"binet of Gems, by Gosmond, 39 plates, being "all that were ever engraved.

The Cracherode Copy has 101 plates.

3

" Mr.

"Mr. Gosmond, a Frenchman, was employed "by the Duke of Devonshire, to engrave his "Cabinet of Gems, but when he had gone "through the few here collected, he ran away,

66

leaving some plates behind, and carrying the

rest with him. What plates came into the "Duke's hands he favoured me with proofs "from: another parcel was purchased in France

66

by the Hon. B. Bathurst, and presented to me 66 by him, A.D. 1730.”

The numbers at the bottom of the plates refer to a catalogue in the Duke of Devonshire's Library.

The above account was transcribed with the noble Earl's permission from Lord Spencer's copy.

This copy contains only 99 plates, which are differently arranged from those in the Cracherode Collection, and many of them also are differently

named.

The sum given for Lord Spencer's copy was

401.

I know of no other copies, than the Devonshire, Lord Spencer's, that in the Cracherode Library, with that which is alluded to in the

above note.

Since the above was written, I learn that Mr. Edward King had a Copy, which was sold with his books by Leigh and Sotheby in Feb. 1808.

The

The copy which belonged to Mr. West, is now in Dr. Hunter's Museum. It consists of only 39 plates, and was purchased for three guineas.

CAMDEN'S BRITANNIA.

TO many curious collectors of books the fol lowing list of the various editions of Camden's Pritannia will be acceptable, and may be depended upon as accurate :

1. 1586, printed by R. Newbery, 12mo.

published with maps.

6. 1607, printed by G. Bishop, folio.

7. 1610,

G. Bishop, folio.

All the above-mentioned editions of Camden were in Latin. The first edition in English, was in 1610, and in folio.

This was translated by the indefatigable Philemon Holland, who was supposed to have been assisted by Camden himself. "Therefore," observes Mr. Gough, great regard has been paid

to

"to his additions and explanations." But what is very extraordinary, and indeed unaccountable, in an author of Mr. Gough's accuracy, he is, in the passage referred to, (Life of Camden, p. xx.) called Philip Holland.

The 8th edition, in 1617, was a Latin Abridgment by Lirizæus, in 12mo.

9. 1637, folio, Philemon Holland's second edition. With this edition, says Mr. Gough, Holland has taken unwarrantable liberties. Mr. Wanley thinks that this edition was published after Holland's death.

10. 1639, a second edition of Lirizæus's Abridgment, in 12mo.

11. 1695, folio. This was the first edition by Bishop Gibson.

The following memorandum from one of Hearne's Diaries, preserved in the Bodleian, forms no unimportant appendage to the above catalogue.

"There is in the Ashmolean Museum, amongst "Mr. Ashmole's books, a very fair folio Ms. handsomely bound, containing an English "translation of Mr. Camden's Britannia, by "Richard Knolles, the same that writ the His66 tory

tory of the Turks.

This book was found

"locked up in a box in Mr. Camden's study, "after his death. Mr. Camden set a great "value upon it. I suppose it was presented by "the author to Mr. Camden. Philemon Hol"land's Translation came out in 1610, which was the year in which Knolles died."

Without calling in question the fair fame of honest Philemon Holland, some readers, from the above note of Hearne, may be inclined to entertain a doubt, whether Holland's is his own genuine translation.

It was certainly believed, that he communicated with Camden on the subject, who might, in all probability lend him Knolles's Translation. Whether he did use it, and to what extent, may however be ascertained by examining the manuscript referred to in the Ashmolean Collection.

DONALD LUPTON.

I FIND no account of this Personage in any of our Biographical Dictionaries: yet he was the author of several curious, and now scarce works.

His