no hearts to do so terrible an act. There be therefore mo men hanged in England, in a year, for robbery and manslaughter, than there be hanged in France for such cause of crime in seven years. There is no man hanged in Scotland in seven years together for robbery, and yet they be oftentimes hanged for larceny, and stealing of goods in the absence of the owner thereof; but their hearts serve them not to take a man's goods while he is present and will defend it; which manner of taking is called robbery. But the Englishman be of another courage; for if he be poor, and see another man having riches which may be taken from him by might, he wol not spare to do so, but if [unless] that poor man be right true. Wherefore it is not poverty, but it is lack of heart and cowardice that keepeth the Frenchmen from rising. What Harm would come to England if the Commons thereof were Poor.

Some men have said that it were good for the king that the commons of England were made poor, as be the commons of France. For then they would not rebel, as now they done oftentimes, which the commons of France do not, nor may do; for they have no weapon, nor armour, nor good to buy it withal. To these manner of men may be said, with the philosopher, Ad parva respicientes, de faci i enunciant; that is to say, they that seen few things woll soon say their advice. Forsooth those folks consideren little the good of the realin, whereof the might most stondeth upon archers, which be no rich men. And if they were made poorer than they be, they should not have wherewith to buy them bows, arrows, jacks, or any other armour of defence, whereby they might be able to resist our enemies when they list to come apon us, which they may do on every side, considering that we be an island; and, as it is said before, we may not have soon succours of any other realm. Wherefore we should be a prey to all other enemies, but if we be mighty of ourself, which might stoudeth most upon our poor archers; and therefore they needen not only to have such habiliments as now is spoken of, but also they needen to be much exercised in shooting, which may not be done without right great expenses, as every man expert therein knoweth right well. Wherefore the making poor of the commons, which is the making poor of our archers, should be the destruction of the greatest might of our realm. Item, if poor men may not lightly rise, as in the opinion of those men, which for that cause would have the commons poor; how then, if a mighty man made a rising, should he be repressed, when all the commons be so poor, that after such opinion they may not fight, and by that reason not help the king with fighting? And why maketh the king the commons to be every year mustered, sithen it was good they had no harness, nor were able to fight? Oh, how unwise is the opinion of these men; for it may not be maintained by any reason! Item, when any rising hath been made in this land, before these days by commons, the poorest men thereof hath been the greatest causers and doers therein. And thrifty men have been loth thereto, for dread of losing of their goods, yet oftentimes they have gone with them through menaces, or else the same poor men would have taken their goods; wherein it sceneth that poverty hath been the whole and chief cause of all such rising. The poor man hath been stirred thereto by occasion of his poverty for to get good; and the rich men have gone with them because they wold not be poor by losing of their goods. What then would fall, if all the commons were poor?

BISHOP PECOCK.

REYNOLD PECOCK, successively bishop of St. Asaph and Chichester, wrote a number of treatises chiefly controversial, and though opposing the Lollards, his free and liberal style of comment led to his being accused of heresy. In consequence of this, Pecock had to recant what he had written, and to burn fourteen of his own books! The main ground of offence was his arguing that in matters of faith the church was not infallible. The most remarkable of Pecock's English works is entitled 'The Repressor,' 1449. He was about the

last of the writers of that age who used the pronouns hem and her for them and their.

SIR THOMAS MALORY.

A compilation of some of the most popular of the romances relating to King Arthur was printed by Caxton in 1485. In a preface to the work, Caxton states that SIR THOMAS MALORY took it out of certain books in French, and reduced it into English. Malory himself states that he finished his task in the ninth year of King Edward IV. (1469). The title of the work, as given by Caxion, is. The Byrth, Lyfe, and Actes of Kyng Arthur, of his Noble Knyghtes of the Rounde Table,' &c. A reprint of the work, with introduction and notes by Southey, was published in 1817, and a popular edition, revised for modern use by Sir Edward Strachey, in 1868. The style of Malory's translation is free and spirited, shewing a greater command of English than any of his predecessors.

The Death of Sir Lancelot.

Then Sir Lancelot, ever after, eat but little meat, nor drank, but continually mourn ed until he was dead; and then he sickened more and more, and dried and dwindled away. For the bishop, nor none of his fellows, might not make him to eat, and little he drank, that he was soon waxed shorter by a cubit than he was, that the people could not know him. For evermore day and night he prayed (taking no rest), but needfully as nature required: sometimes he slumbered a broken sleep; and always he was lying grovelling upon King Arthur's and Queen Guenever's tomb; and there was no comfort that the bishop, nor Sir Bors, not none of all his fellows could make him; it availed nothing.

Oh! ye mighty and pompous lords, winning in the glorious transitory of this unstable life, as in reigning over great realms and mighty great countries, fortified with strong castles and towers, edified with many a rich city; yea also, ye fierce and mighty knights, so valiant in adventurous deeds of arms, behold! behold! see how this mighty conquerer, King Arthur, whom in his human life all the world doubted, (1) yea also the noble Queen Guenever, which sometimes sat in her chair adorned with gold, pearls, and precious stones, now lie full low in obscure foss, or pit, covered with clods of earth and clay! Behold also this mighty champion, Sir Lancelot, peerless of all knighthood; see now how he lieth grovelling upon the cold mould; now being so feeble and faint, that sometime was so terrible: how, and in what manner, ought ye to be so desirous of worldly honour so dangerous? Therefore, me thinketh this present book is right necessary often to be read; for in all (2) ye find the most gracious, knightly, and virtuous war, of the most noble knights of the worid, whereby they got praising continually; also me seemeth, by the oft reading thereof, ye shall greatly desire to accustom yourselves in following of those gracious knightly deeds; that is to say, to dread God and to love righteousness, faithfully and courageously to serve your sovereign prince; and, the more that God hath given you the triumphal honour, the meeker ought ye to be, ever fearing the unstableness of this deceitful world.

And so, within fifteen days, they came to Joyous Guard, and there they laid his corpse in the body of the quire, and sung and read many psalters and prayers over him and about him; and even his visage was laid open and naked, that all folk might behold him. For such was the custom in those days, that all men of worship should so lie with open visage till that they were buried. And right thus as they were at their service there came Sir Ector de Maris, that had sought seven years all England, Scotland, and Wales, seeking his brother Sir Lancelot.

And then Sir Ector threw his shield, his sword, and his helm from him; and when he beheld Sir Lancelot's visage, he fell down in a swoon; and, when he awoke, it were hard for any tongue to tell the doleful complaints that he made for his brother. 'Ah, Sir Lancelot,' said he thou wert head of all Christian knights.' And now, I

1 Dreaded (held as redoubtable).

2 It?

daresay,' said Sir Bors, 'that Sir Lancelot, there thou liest. thou wert never matched of none earthly knight's hands. And thou wert the courtliest knight that ever bare shield; and thou wert the truest friend to thy lover that ever bestrode horse; and thou wert the truest lover, of a sinful man, that ever loved woman; and thou wert the kindest man that ever stroke with sword; and thou wert the goodliest person that ever came among press of knights; and thou wert the meekest man, and the gentlest, that ever eat in hall among ladies; and thou wert the sternest knight to thy mortal foe that ever put spear in rest.'

WILLIAM CAXTON.

WILLIAM CAXTON, the venerated father of English printing, was born in Kent about 1412. While acting as an agent for English merchants in Holland, he made himself master of the art of printing, then recently introduced on the continent; and, having translated a French book, styled "The Recuyell of the Histories of Troye,' he printed it at Ghent, in 1471, being the first book in the English language ever put to the press. In a note to this publication, Caxton Says:

Forasmuch as age creepeth on me daily, and feebleth all the bodie, and also because I have promised divers gentlemen, and to my friends, to address to them, as hastily as I might, this said book, therefore I have practised and learned, at my great charge and dispence, to ordain this said book in print, after the manner and form as ye may here see, and is not written with pen and ink, as other books ben, to the end ihat all men may have them at once, for all the books of this story, named the 'Recule of the Historeys of Troyes,' thus emprinted, as ye here see, were begun in one day, and also finished in one day.

Afterwards he established a printing-office at Westminster, and in 1474 produced 'The Game of Chess,' which was the first book printed in Britain. Caxton translated or wrote about sixty different books, all of which went through his own press before his death in 1491. About forty-four of these are in the British Museum.

Caxton gave a prose translation of the 'Eneid,' having met with a French version of the original. In his Proeme he speaks of the 'Eneid,' as Pope observes, as of a book hardly known.

Caxton's Account of Virgil.

Happened that to my hande came a lytel book in Frenche, which late was translated out of Latyn by some noble clerk of Fraunce, whiche booke is named 'Eneydos' (made in Latyn by that noble poete and grete clerk Vyrgyle), which booke I sawe over and redde therein: How after the generall destruccyon of the grete Troy, Eneas departed berynge his old fadar Anchises upon his sholders, his lytyl son Yolas on his hande, his wyfe with moche other people followynge, and how he shipped and departed; wythe all the storye of his adventures that he had er he cam to the atchieveinent of his conquest of Ytaly, as all alonge shall be shewed in this present booke. In whiche booke I had grete playsyr, by cause of the fayr and honest termes and wordes in Frenche, whiche I never sawe to fore lyke, ne none so playsant ne so well ordred; whiche booke, as ne semed shold be moch requysite to noble men to see, as wel for the eloquence as the hystoryes. How wel that many hondred yerys passed was the sayd booke of 'Eneydos' wyth other workes made and lerned dayly in scolis, especially in Ytaly and other places, wiche historye the sayd Vyrgyle made in metre

The following passage is extracted (the spelling modernised) from the conclusion of Caxton's translation of 'The Golden Legend: '

Legend of St. Francis.

Francis, servant and friend of Almighty God, was born in the city of Assyse, and was made a merchant unto the twenty-fifth year of his age, and wasted his time by living vainly, whom our Lord corrected by the scourge of sickness, and suddenly changed him into another man; so that he began to shine by the spirit of prophecy. On a time as this holy man was in prayer, the devil called him thrice by his own name. And when the holy man had answered him, he said: None in this world is so great a sinner, but if he convert him, our Lord would pardon him; but who that sleeth himself with hard penance, shall never find mercy." And anon, this holy man knew by revelation the fallacy and deceit of the fiend, how he would have withdrawn him fro to do well. And when the devil saw that he might not prevail against him, he tempted him by grievous temptation of the flesh. And when this holy servant of God felt that, he dispoiled (1) his clothes, and beat himself right hard with an hard cord, saying: Thus, brother ass, it behoveth thee to remain and to be beaten.' And when the temptation departed not, he went out and plunged himself in the snow, all naked, and made seven great balls of snow, and purposed to have taken them into (2) his body, and said: This greatest is thy wife; and these four, two ben thy daughters, and two thy sons; and the other twain, that one thy chambrere, and that other thy varlet or yeman; haste and clothe them; for they all die for cold. And if thy business that thou hast about them, grieve ye sore, then serve our Lord perfectly. And anon, the devil departed from him all confused; and St. Francis returned again unto his cell glorifying God.

He was ennobled in his life by many miracles; and the very death, which is to all men horrible and hateful, he admonished them to praise it. And also he warned and admonished death to come to him, and said: 'Death, my sister, welcome be you.' And when he came at the last hour, he slept in our Lord; of whom a friar saw the soul, in manner of a star, like to the moon in quantity, and the sun in clearness.

ENGLISH CHRONICLERS-FABIAN AND HALL,

ROBERT FABIAN and EDWARD HALL may be regarded as the first writers in English history or chronicles. They aimed at no literary excellence, nor at any arrangement calculated to make their writings attractive. Their sole object was to narrate minutely, and as far as their opportunities allowed, faithfully, the events of the history of their country; and it must be admitted that to their diligence we are indebted for the preservation of many curious facts and illustrations of manners, which would have otherwise been lost.

Fabian, who was an alderman and sheriff of London, and died in 1513,wrote a general chronicle of English history, which he called 'The Concordance of Stories,' and which has been several times printedthe last time in 1811, under the care of Sir Henry Ellis. It is particularly minute with regard to what would probably appear the most important of all things to the worthy alderman, the succession of officers of all kinds serving in the city of London; and amongst other events of the reign of Henry V. the author does not omit to note that a new weather-cock was placed on the top of St. Paul's steeple. Fabian repeats all the fabulous stories of early English history, which had first been circulated by Geoffrey of Monmouth,

Hall was a lawyer and a judge in the sheriff's court of London, and died at an advanced age in 1547. He compiled a copious chronicle of English history during the reigns of the Houses of Lancaster and York, and those of Henry VII. and Henry VIII. which was first

printed by Grafton in 1548, under the title of The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Families of Lancastre and Yorke, with all the Acts done in both the Tymes of the Princes, both of the one Linage and the other,' &c. Hall is very minute in his notices of the fashions of the time; altogether, his work is of a superior character to that of Fabian, as might perhaps be expected from his better education and condition in life. Considered as the only compilations of English history at the command of the wits of Elizabeth's reign, and as furnishing the foundations of many scenes, and even whole plays, by the most illustrious of the dramatists, the Chronicles have a value in our eyes beyond that which would otherwise belong to them.

Fabian thus relates an event famous in history and poetry :

Jack Cade's Insurrection.

Original Spelling.-And in the moneth of Juny this yere, the comons of Kent assemblyd them in grete multytude, and chase to them a capitayne, and named hym Mortymer, and cosyn to the Duke of York; but of moste he was named Jack Cade. This kepte the people wondrouslie togader, &c.

And in the month of June this year [1450], the commons of Kent assembled them in great multitude, and chose to them a Captain, and named him Mortimer, and cousin to the Duke of York; but of most he was named Jack Cade. This kept the people wondrously together, and made such ordinances among them that he brought a great number of people unto the Black Heath, where he devised a bill of petitions to the king and his council, and shewed therein what injuries and oppressions the poor commons suffered by such as were about the king, a few persons in number, and all under colour to come to his above. The king's council, seeing this bill, disallowed it, and counselled the king, which by the 7th day of June had gathered to him a strong host of people, to go again' his rebels, and to give unto them battle. Then the king, after the said rebels had holden their field upon Black Heath seven days, made toward them. Whereof hearing, the Captain drew back with his people to a village called Sevenoaks, and there embattled.

Then it was agreed by the king's council that Sir Humphrey Stafford, knight, with William his brother, and other certain gentlemen, should follow the chase, and the king with his lords should return unto Greenwich, weening to them that the rebels were fled and gone. But, as before I have shewed, when Sir Humphrey with his company drew near unto Sevenoaks, he was warned of the Captain that there abode with his people. And when he had counselled with the other gentlemen, he, like a manful knight, set upon the rebels, and fought with them long: but in the end, the Captain slew him and his brother, with many other, and caused the rest to give back. All which season, the king's host lay still upon Black Heath, being among them sundry opinions; so that some and many favoured the Captain. But, finally, when word came of the overthrow of the Staffords, they said plainly and boldly that, except the Lord Saye and other before rehearsed were commited to ward, they would take the Captain's party. For the appeasing of which rumour the Lord Saye was put into the Tower; but that other as then were not at hand. Then the king, having knowledge of the scomfiture of his men, and also of the rumour of his hosting peo ple, removed from Greenwich to Loudon, and there with his host rested him a while, And so soon as Jack Cade had thus overcome the Staffords, he anon apparelled him with the knight's apparel, and did on him his bryganders set with gilt nails, and his salet and gilt spurs; and after he had refreshed his people, he returned again to Black Heath, and there pight (1) again his field, as heretofore he had done, and lay there from the 29th day of June, being St. Peter's day till the first day of July. In which season came unto him the archbishop of Canterbury and the Duke of Buckingham, with whom they had long communication, and found him right discreet in his answers; howbeit they could not cause him to lay down his people, and to submit him unto the king's grace.

1 Pitched.