SIXTEENTH CENTURY.
380
On Clement VII. whose death was said to be occaaoned by the prescriptions of his physician:
CiDtias ocddit Clementem, Cnrtiiu auro Domndas, per qaem pabllcs put* nlus. "Dr. Cnittai has killed the pope by hi* remediet: he oa(l>t to be lemancnted u ■ man who hat cored the
The following, on Paul III. are singular conceptions: —
Papa MednsKom caput est, coma tniba Nepotum : Peneu cKde caput, CKsaila peiUt.
"The pope is the head of Hedoaa; the horrid treases are Usaephewil I^rsens, cut off the head, and then we shall be lid of these seipent-lods."
Another is sarcastio—
n eanerent data mnlta oUm sunt Vattbos era ; <n tacram, qoantom tn mlhl, Pauie, dabis I
- Hoctofore mooeT was (iTen to poet* that they might
^ag : how much wUl you (iTe me, Paul, to be silent }"
This collection contains, among other classes, passages from the Scriptures which have been applied to the court of Rome; to different nations and persons; and one of "Sortei Virgi- Isa* per Pasqttillum collecUt" — passages from Virgil frequently happily applied ; and those who are curious in the history of those times will find this portion interesting.*
1544. The Statutet in Englith, from the time of Henry III. to 19 Hen. VII. inclusive.chrono- logicaily arranged, were printed by Thomas Berthelet, in one volume, folio. It has not been »tisiactonly ascertained that any complete chrunologi«iI series of the statutes from Magna Cbarta to 1 Edward III. either in the original language or in English, or that any translation of thestatutes from 1 Heniy III. to 1 Henry VII. had been published previous to this edition by Berthelet ; though some books refer to editions by Berthelet, as those of 1529 and 1540.
The Grtat Boke of Statutet commences with 1 Edward III. and ends with 34 Henry VIII. It is entirely in En|^lish. It appears to hare been published at different times, in separate parts; and it seems not unlikely that the earliest rart may hare been publbhed prerious to the English edition printed by Berthelet in this year, from which it differs in some particulars: of such difference one instance is the insertion of eap. 7, of 2 Richard II. stat. 1, respecting pope Orban, which is omitted in Berthelet 1543, and subsequent editions; from whence it seems probable that this part was published before the severe prohibitions, by the acts of Henry VII. against acknowledging the papal power.
It is to be observed, that the several printed editions differ materially from each other in the text of the statutes prerious to Henry \'1II. The copy of the statute of Gloucester, 6 Edward I. in the editions printed by Tottell in 1556 and and 1587, and by Lord Coke in his Second Institute, varies most materially, not only from that in the earlier printed editions by Poynson in 1508 and 1514, and by Berthelet in 1531, but also from that in the edition by Marshe in 1556,
' For the introduction of these Satire* Into Encland, c the rear li99,poMt.
the same year in which the first edition by Tot- tell was printed. The copy of this statute, printed by Hawkins from the Statute Roll in the Tower, raries as well from those printed bj Tottell and Lord Coke, as from those by Poyn- son, Berthelet, and Marshe. This instance is mentioned, as the statute of Gloucester is the earliest now existing on any statute roll.
It is moreover ascertained, that no one com- plete printed translation of all the statutesprevi- ous to Henry VII. exists: some which are omitted from Berthelet, 1543, and the other early editions, including that called Rastall's, 1618, and in editions since published: on the contrary, several parts of the statutes from I Edward III. to I Henry VII., translations of which are inserted in Berthelet, Rastall, and other editions, are omitted, and merely abridg- ments thereof given, in Pulton and others.
To show the progress of the English language, we cannot do better than give a brief abstract of the Original Language of the Charten and Sta- tute.* The language of the charters and statutes, from the period of the earliest now given, 1 Henry I. to the beginning of the reign of Henry VII. is Latin or French. From that time it has been uniformly English. The peti- tions, or bills, on which the statutes were founded, began to be generally in English early in the reign of Henry VI.
The charter, dated 5 November, 25 Edward I. is in French ; as is also the duplicate of that charter, dated 10 October, and entered on the Statute Roll 25 Edward I.
The statutes of Henry III. are almost entirely in Latin. Some legislative matters, not in the printed collections, are entered on the Patent Rolls in French.
The statutes of Edward I. arwndiscriminately in Ladn or French; though the former language is most prevalent.
The statutes of Edward II. are, like those of Edward I. indiscriminately in Latin or French ; but the latter language prevails more than in the statutes of Edward I.
The statutes of Edward III. are more gene- rally in French than those of any preceding king; yet some few are in Latin. The statutes of Richard II. are almost universally in French; those of the sixth and eighth years are in Latin. The statutes of Henry IV. with the exception of chapter 15 of the statute 2 Henry IV. which is in Latin, are entirely in French ; as are those of Henry V. with the exception of the short statutes 5 and 7 Henry V. which appear in Latin.
The earliest instance recorded of the use of the English language in any parliamentary pro- ceeding, is in 36 Eawa»d III. The style of the roll of that year is in French as usual, but it is expressly stated that the causes of summoning the parliament were declared "en Englois." A petition from the " Folke of the Mercerye of
- Ftom the Report of the Commisaionera fbr executing
the measures recommended by the House of Commons for examining and coUectinjc the Public Records.
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