414
HISTORY OF PRINTING.
- i.
1662. Pajde for a hyUll* for the church 10
1663. Payde for abokeof Wednesdaves
fasting, which contaynsomelues 6
1664. Payde fur a communion boke 4
1568. Payde for too bokes of common
prayer agaynste invading of the Turkey 6
1665. Payde for a repetition of the com-
munion boke 4
1566. Payde for setting up Robin Hoode's
boivere 18
1573. Payde for a quire of paper to make
four bokes of Geneva salmet^ ... 4 1573. Payde for 2 bookes of common
prayer, now sett forth 4
1677. Payde for a new byble 40
1677. Payde forabooke of common prayer 7 1677. Payde for wryting the commande-
ments in the quyre, and paynt-
ing the same 19
1578. Payde for a booke of the articles{| 10 1691. Payde for an houre glass for the
pulpit§ 4
1591. Mat/ 26. Queen Elizabeth grants a licence to Ricliard Wright, of Oxford, to print the Hittory of Cornelius Tacitus. See Rymer, vol. xvi. p. 96. — ^This appears to be the first ex- clusive privilege for publishing.
1591. Died, Thomas Bassandyne, or Bas- SEKDEN, who had the honour of being theprinter of the first edition of the scriptures known to have been printed in Scotland. — (see page 361
- This, It Is supposed, was the Geneva Bible, In 4to.
both on account of its low price, and because that edition, having the division of verses, was best suited for public use. It was an English translation, which had been re- vised and corrected by the English exiles at Geneva, in queen Mary's reign, and printed there In 1560, with a dedication to queen Elizabeth. In the year 1576, another Bible was bought, which was called the Xew Bible, and is said to have cost forty shillings ; usually called archbishop Parker' t Bible, printed at London, la 1568, by Richard Jugge, the queen's printer. They had prayer-books, pialteri, and long-iooki, for the churches In the beginning of this reign, as the whole bible was not easily to be pro- cared.
t In IS6J, there Is a charge of sixpence for /too common prayer books against invading the Titrke. It was then thought the common cause of the Christian states in Europe to oppose the progress of the Turkish arms by all methods, both civU and religious. And this year the Turks made a descent upon the Isle of Malta, where they besieged the town and castle of St. Michael fonr months, when, on the approach of the Christian fleet, they broke up the siege, and sulTered considerable loss in their flight. (TAuaniu, lib. 38.) And as the war was afterwards carried on between them and the emperor Maximilian in Hun. garv, the like prayer-bocks were annually purchased for the parish till the year 1569 inclusive.— See Pre/, ad Cam- dmi. "Eliz." p. xxix.l.i.g.
t In 1573 charge is made of paper for four books of Oenna psatms. It Is well known, that the vocal music in parochial churches received a great alteration under the reign of queen Elizabeth, being changed from antiphonyes into metrical psalmody, which is here called the Geneea psalms.
1 These articles were agreed to and subscribed for by both houses of convocation in I5dS, and printed the year foUowing. But In 1571, being agahi revised and latifled by act of parliament, they seem to have beeo placed in churches.
t How early the custom was of using hour glasses in the pulpit, cannot be ascertained, but In the annals of Dunstable priory is this item: "In 1483, made a clock over the pulpit." In early times, the priest bad sometimes a Kolch found him by the parish — Fosbroke's BrUish JUonaehitm.
ante.) He was a native of Scotland, and edu- cated at Antwerp ; from whence he went to Paris, and afterwards to Leyden, where he learned the artof printing; and returned to Scotland in 1558, when he joined himself to the lords of the con- gregation, as the reformers were then called. Besides the edition of the scriptures, he printed several other works which are now become scarce. His dwelling was at the Nether Bow. The ear- , liest edition of the rare Scotch poem, called ■Syr Gray-Steill, issued from the press of Bas- sendyne. An inventory of his goods, dated Oct. 18, 1577, contains an item of three hundred Gray-Stellis, valued at the " pece v\d. summa vii/. w." On the 17th of April, 1497, when James IV. was at Stirling, there is an entry in the treasurer's accounts, " Item, that samyn day to twa sachelaris that lany Grey-Steill to the king, ixs." In manuscript collections made at Aberdeen, in 1627, called a Booke for the Lute, by Robert Gordon, is the air of Grey-Steill ; aiid-a satirical poem in Scottish rhyme on the marquis of Argyle, printed in 1686,is " appointed to be sung to the tune of old Gray-SteUl." These e\'idences that the poem was sung, manifests its popularity. There are conjectures as to who the person denominated sir Gray Steel really was, but the point is undetermined. James Nicol, printer to the town and university of Aberdeen, printed an edition of this poem in 1711, which though of so recent a date, is at present unique.*
1691. The Shepheard's Calender. Containing twelve aeglogves proportionable to the twelve monthes. Entituled : To the noble and virttunu gentleman, most worty of all titles, both of learn- ing and chivalry, maisler Philip Sidney. By Edmund Spencer. London, imprinted by John Windet, 1591. 4/o.t
In the argument to October oi the above poem, Spencer speaking of " Poetrie," calls it " a divine gift, and heavenly instinct, not to be gotton by labour and learning, but adorned with both, and poured into the witte by a certaine enthusiasmos and celestiall inspiration."
Spencer wrote a treatise called the English Poet, which has unfortunately been lost, and must have contained specimens of the writings of his countrymen. See Mr. Todd's edition of Spencer, the Life, p. 7, and p. 158, where the author says, Spencer, in his book called the Eng- lish Poet '; which booke being lately come into my handes, I minde also by God's grace, upon further advisement to publish."
15!*1. Complaints ; containing sundrie small poems of the world's vanity. By Edmund Spencer. London, itnprinted by William Ponsonby, at the Bishop's Head, in Paul's church yard. 4to.X
151*1. The Countess of Pembrokes Ivy Church, containing the affectionate Life, and unfortunate Death ofPhillis and Amyntas, that in a Pastoral, this in a Funerall, both in English hexameters,
- Early Metrical Tales, including the History of Sir
Egeir, Sir Oryme, and Sir Gray Sfeil. Edioburgh : 1836. 17s copies printed, small 8vo.
t Sold at archdeacon Nare'a sale, 1821, for ^158 U. lOd.
- Sold at aich4eacon Nare's sale, 1821, «to , for sgi lOs.
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