SIXTEENTH CENTURV.
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AjleAtaj, in the county of Buckingham, sent br ber nominatioD, the trutty and well-belmed Thowa* Lichfieid and George Harden, lobe her iuryetta, and whatever they should do in the serrice of the queen's highness in that present pariiament, the lady thereby approved, as if she Misdf were present.
1572, Sept. 29, in the 14th of Elizabeth, "a lioenae was granted to Thomas Maishe, to print CmtomU disticha de moribut, Marci TtUl. epitt. fmmtUi»res, ^lopi fabuite, and other classic aothors for 12 years; and none to print any of his copies, with privilege to enter any house, or waiebouse, to search for, and seize any books priated and brought into the realm, contrary to the tenoar of these our letters patent, and the ■■ to seize to the use of us, and our heirs and
saccesBOTS.
1572. The rojral or Spanish Polvglott was printed at Antwerp, by Christopher Plantin, in 1569 — ^by au^ority of Philip II. king uf Spain, in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and Chaldee, under the direction of Arias Montanus, in eight vols, ibiio ; containing, besides the whole of the Cum- platensian edition, a Chaldee paraphrase on part of the old testament, which cardinal Ximenes bad deposited in the theological library at Com-
f (latum, having particular rea-sons for not pub- ishing it. The new testament had the Syriac rerraon, and the Latin translation of Santes Pkgninns as reformed by Arias Montanus. This work was also enriched with various grammars and dictionaries of the several languages it con- sists of. Of this Polyglott, which received the approbation of pope Gregory XIII. only five hundred copies were printed, a large part of which were lost by the vessel being wrecked which was conveying them to Spain. The price of the copies, according to Sealiger, was forty pistoles each set.*
Id72, Aor. 24. Died, John Knox, the lustre of whose name has obscured the reputation of those who were his fellow-labourers in the cause of the reformation.f Such persons as entirely approve of the religious establishment of Scot- land, which was almost wholly the result of his zeal and activity, must entertain the highest respect for his memory. He was undoubtedly a man of distinguished abilities, and had a rough and bold eloquence, which was admirably calcu- lated to produce all its effects among the people
• A copy of this Talmble Polyglott, with the excepUon of the Kcond volome of the " Apparatus " is in the Colle- giate, or Cbeetham's library at Manchester. A most macolficent copy, apon vellum, in the original binding, in ten Tolomes, bat wanting the three latter voluines (now In the royal library at I^rls), which conuin the philological and lexicographical appendix, was brought to England in May, IS16, by Mr. Wurtz, and offered to sale at one tiMMUumd guineas.
t In the cemetry, near to the cathedral, in the city of Glasgow, is a beaatiful pillar, with a statue of Knox, and <m the four aides of the pedestal are inscriptions conunemo- mtive of the reformation.
A termon preached if John Knoi, minUler of Chriit Jewta, t» the publique audience of the church of Eden- torough, wUhm the realme of Scotland, upon Sundag the Ift* of Auguet, ItOS. For the which the laid John Knate wat fnhitde preaching for a teaton, ic. No place, nor printer.
to whom it was addressed. In learning, he stood upon a level with some of the most celebrated of his cotemporaries; but it is impossible to speak with admiration of his spirit and temper. There was a harshness in his manners, that in this age at least, must appear exceedingly disgusting. Nevertheless, when every deduction is made from his merit, it must be acknowledged that his talents were fitted in an extraordinary degree for the execution of the business in which he was engaged. The praise of sincerity and piety cannot be denied him, while it is to be re- gretted that these virtues were accompanied with so narrow and bigotted a turn of mind. In the time of John Knox, the having suffered persecution did not hinder men from exer- cising persecution when it was in their power. In Scotland, the protestant reformation was settled by parliament in 1560, the year after ius final establishment in England, where the reformation was carried on much more tempe- rately than in Scotland. In both countries the monasteries were dispersed. In England, thd wealth of the secular clergy, the bishoprics, cathedrals, and parochial churches, were left untouched. In Scotland, where it must be owned, the proportion of ecclesiastical to lay wealth had come to be much greater, the churcn was far more severely assailed ; the sees and cathedrals in particular, were pillaged by the too powerful nobility of this small countrj-, to an extent that ever after must have rendered it almost impossible to maintain anv proper episco- pal establishment in reformed Scotland. And this circumstance certainly contributed in no trivial degree to the ultimate triumph of the anti-episcopal party within her church. John Knox was the principal agent in the business, who brought with him from Geneva, where he had resided for a time, and officiated to an English congregation, a violent aversion to the episcopal form of ecclesiastical government ; and he had sufficient influence to prevail upon his countrymen to adopt the plan of Calvin, in all parts of its discipline, as well as of its doctrine. Thus presbyterianism became the public religion of Scotland.
1672, Dec. 7. John Barret had a patent to print a Dictionary, in English and Latin.
1572, Dec. 15. Francis Flower, a gentleman being none of the company of stationers, had privilege of printing the grammar and other things ; and farmed it out to some of the com- pany for £100, by the year, which was raised by enhancing the prices above the accustomed order. He a.ssignca Thomas VatroUier and others to print for him. Some of them are only said to be the assigns of Francis Flower, without naming the person.
1573, ylu^. 6. Lionel Ducket, lord mayor of London, transmits to lord Burleigh an act of the common council, forbidding the venison feasts in the halls of the city, which we understand to have been offensive to her majesty. In consequence of this order, the feast of'^the stationers' were res- trained.
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