494
HISTORY OF PRINTING.
1596. Jacobus Lucius printed a PclygloU, in Greek, Latin, and German, at Hamburgh, in four volumes, folio, " Studio Davidis Wolderi ;" the Greek from the Venice edition of 1518 ; the Latin versions those of St. Jerom and Pagninus. Mr. De Missy's copy of Wolderus was sold for no more than half a guinea ; and is now in the royal library.
The learned author of the Succinct Account oj Polyglotl Bibles, has the following remarks : —
" The taste tiat prevailed early in the six- teenth centuiv, for the cultivation of literature, was partly the cause of, and partly owing to the publication of the sacred writings in differ- ent languages. Certain men, in whom were providentially united a taste for sound learning, together with ecclesiastical influence, and secu- lar opulence, determined to publish, first, ^xirtf, and then the whole of the sacred writings, in such languages as were esteemed the learned languages of the universe. These were, princi- pally, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, Chaldee, and "Syriac ; others of less importance were added to them. Such publications attracted general attention, and became greatly studied. Hence the taste, not only fur sacred literature, but uni- versal science, became widely diffused; and the different nations of Europe seemed to vie with each other in the publication of those works, which have since obtained the denomination ot PoLYGLOTTS, thatis, ' books in many languages.' "
1696. TTie Thirteen Bookes of Aenidoi. The first twelve being the worke of the diuine Poet Virgil Maro, arid the thirteenth, the supplement of Maphaut Vegius. Translated into English verse to the first third part of the tenth booke, by Thomas Phaer, Esquire: and the residue finished, and now newly set forth for the delight of such as are studious in Poetry. By Thomas Twyne, Doctor in Physic. London, printed by Thomas Creed, in Thames-street. 4to.
1596. 7%« faerie queene, disposed into xii bookes, fashiantng xii moral vertues. By Edmund Spencer. London, printed by Wilham Ponson- by. In two vols. 12mo.
The Faery Quem,sa^s a modern critic,is a world of itself, formed out of the extraordinary fancy of the author. His invention was without limit. Giants and dwarfs, fairies, and knights, and queens, rose up at his call. He drew shape after shape, scene after scene, castle and lake, woods and lawns, monstrous anomalies and beautiful impossibilities, from the unfatliomable depths of his mind ; yet all of them intended to represent some shade or kind of emotion, passion, or faculty, or the things upon which these are continually operating. Only six of the original twelve books now remain, the rest having been lost by a servant on the passage from' Ireland to England. Each of these is divided into twelve cantos, and the versification of the whole is in a peculiar stanza of nine lines, now commonly called the Spenserian, and remarkable for its elegance and harmony. Each book is devoted to the adventures of a particular knight, who personifies a certain virtue, as Holiness, Temper-
ance, Courtesy, &c., and who moves in the midst of a whole host of sentiments and ideas, personified in the same way, the whole bearing the appearance of a chivalrous tale. The woik, though upon the whole too tedious for the gene- rality of modern readers, is justly regarded as one of the greatest compositions in English poetry. Spenser formed his manner, in some degree, upon the model of the Italian poets; and yet ne is not only unlike them in many respects, but be is like no other English writer.
Perhaps it is fortunate for the I-aery Queen that one naif of it was lost ; and it might have even been improved in value by the want of a half of that which remains ; for it is allowed that the strength of the work lies in the first three books.
After Spencer's Faerie Queen was published, the press overflowed with many mistaken imita- tions, in which fories were the chief actors, — this circumstance is humorously animadverted on by Marston, in his satires, as quoted by Warton : every scribe now falls asleep, and in his
dresnu, Btnl||:ht, tenne pound to one
Outsteps some faiiy —
Awake, straight rubs his erea, and rRiMTS nis talz.
The followinganecdote cannot be well omitted , though generally well known. It is the method Spencer took to' introduce himself to sir Philip Sidney, which was by going to Leicester house, and sending in the ninth canto of the first book of his Fairy Queen. Sir Philip was particularly pleased with the description of Despair, and " expressed unusual transport," says Mr.Hughes, " on the discovery of so new and uncommon a genius. After he had read some stanzas, be turned to his steward, and bid him give the per- son that brought these verses, fifty pounds ; but upon reading the-next stanza, he ordered the sum to be doubled. The steward was no less surprised than his master, and thought it his duty to make some delay in executing so sudden or lavish a bounty ; but upon reading one stanza more, Mr. Sidney raised his gratuity to two hundred pounds, and commanded tfae steward to give it immediately, lest as he read further, he might be tempted to give awar his whole estate. From this time he admitted the author to his acquaintance and conversation, and prepare<f the way for his being known and re- ceived at court." *
1696. John Danter dwelt in Hosier-lane, near Holbom conduit, and printed some books with William Hoskins. His first book is dated in 1691. In 1593, he printed Strange news of the intercepting certaine letters, and a convoy of verses, as they were going privilie to xictuale the Low Countrie. Vndu imdellitur unda. By Thomas Nashe, gent. His last work was Hart with you to Saffron Walden ; or Gabriell Har- vey's Hunt is up. Containirtg a full answer to the eldest Sonne of the hatter maker ; or Nashe his confutation of the sinful doctor.* 1696. 4to.
• A copy of this wort, with an outline dnwing ol Nash, copied ttom Lichtleld TrimmiHg, and tbe title in Dianttscilpt, was lately offered at ^10 iSf .
VjOOQ IC
