for his noble and elegant collection of Ancient Marbles. In the copy, which Mr. Townley presented to the Museum, of his uncle's performance, is a head of him, very well engraved, with this inscription: JOHANNES TOWNLEY, Ordinis Militaris Sti. Ludovici Eques. Ad impertiendum amicis inter Gallos Hic Johannes Townley In agro Lancastriensi Armigeri filius The Critical Reviewers might, however, have known something of the Translation from Granger, who speaks of the work in his fourth volume, p. 39. "I am credibly informed," says Granger, "that this Translation was done by Mr. Town ley, a gentleman of fortune in Lancashire, "who has been allowed by the French to un"derstand their language as well as the natives "themselves." Mr. Townley was educated in France, and was for a long time in the French service, and thus thus naturally acquired an intimate knowledge of the French language. In the French Translation, the Epistle to Sidrophel is omitted, which indeed has nothing to do with the rest of the Poem. The cuts which accompany this work are very neat and correct copies from Hogarth. The only Translation of the kind, that can at all be placed in competition with the above, is that of Rabelais, by Sir Thomas Urquhart. ENEAS VICUS. Ex Libris xxIII Commentariorum in vetera Impp. Rom. Numismata Enea Vici. Vene The copy of this rare book, which is in the Cracherode Collection, formerly belonged to Mr. Folkes, at the sale of whose library it was purchased by Dr. Askew. It was once in the possession of Monsieur Grotier, who had been ambassador at Rome from Francis I. This gentleman had a library of about three thousand volumes, all of which were gilt in different fashions, and all of them lettered. "Io. Grotierii et amicorum." This library was publicly sold at Paris in 1,670. Æneas Vicus was a very learned man, and wrote several works on coins, which are highly esteemed. He was one of the first, if not the first, who engraved the reverses of coins. The manner of his death was very singular and lamentable. He was shewing some coins to the Duke of Ferrara, and fell down and died in a moment. The other works of Æneas Vicus, are 1. Omnium Casarum verissima imagines, &c. Parma, 1552. Patinus, in his Introduction to the History of Coins, misnames this book, " Cæsarum rarissimæ "imagines." 2. Augustarum imagines, (the wives of The Cæsars) Venice, 1558. 3. Le Imagini con tutti i Reversi Trovati, e le Vite de gli Imperatori, &c. Parma, 1658. 4. Discorsi di M. Enea Vico Parmigiano sopra Medaglie, &c. Venice, 1555. All the above are in the Cracherode Collection, with a duplicate of the book specified at the head of the article. STENOGRAPHY. STENOGRAPHY. Character and Arte of shorte, swift and secrete, Writing by Character, invented by Timothe Bright, Doctor of Phisike. Imprinted at London by J. Windet, the Assigne of Tim Bright, 1558. Cum privilegio Regiæ Majestatis. Forbidding all others to print the same. THIS curious and scarce little book belongs to Mr. Douce, who has observed that it is the first treatise in our own, or perhaps in any other language, on the subject of short-hand writing. The author certainly claims the honour of the invention in his dedication, which is to Queen Elizabeth, and in the following terms: To the Most high and mightie Prince Elizabeth, by the Grace of God, of England, Fraunce, and Ireland, Queene, Defender of the Faith, &cc. Cicero did account it worthie his labor, and no less profitable to the Roman common weale (Most gratious Soueraigne) to inuent a speedie kinde of wryting by CHARACTER, as PLUTARCH reporteth in the life of CATO the yonger. This invention was increased afterwards by SENECA; that the number of characters grue to 7000. Whether through iniurie of time, or that men gaue it over for tediousness of learning, nothing remaineth 6 remaineth extant of Cicero's inuention at this day. Upon consideration of the great vse of such a kinde of writing, I haue inuented the like: of fewe Characters, short and easie, euery Cha→ racter answering a word: My Inuention meere English, without precept, or imitation of any. The uses are diuers: Short, that a swifte hande may therewith write orations, or publike actions of speach, vttered as becometh the grauitie of such actions, VERBATIM. Secrete as no kinde of wryting like. And herein (besides other properties) excelling the wryting by letters and Alphabet, in that, Nations of strange languages, may hereby communicate their meaning together in writing, though of sundrie tonges. It is reported of the people of CHINA, that they haue no other kinde, and so traffike together many Prouinces of that kingdom, ignorant one of an others speach. Their Characters are very long & hard to make, that a dousen of mine, may be written as soone as one of theirs: Besides, they wanting an Alphabet, fal into an infinite number, which is a thing that greatlie chargeth memory, and may discourage the learner. This my inuention I am emboldened to dedicate unto your Majesty, in that among other your Princelie vertues, your Majesty is woont to approue of euery good and profitable inuention of learning and in duetie of thankefulnesse am I much more bounde thereunto, from whome, I have |