300
HISTORY OF PRINTING.
It has more of the simplicity of Hesiod than of the elegance of Virgil. Indeed, the Five Hun- dred Points of good Hmsbandrie, is so destitute of poetical ornaments, that its sole value arises from its being a genuine picture of agriculture, the rural arts, and the domestic economy and customs of our ancestors.
1547, Feb. 9. Henry VIII. was succeeded on the throne by his only son, Edward VI. now in the ninth year of his age; and on this day was crowned with great state at Westminster. To illustrate the manners of the times, we extract a few notices of the pageants which were displayed as he proceeded through the city to his coronation : The crafts and aldermen stood arrayed in order; priests and clerks, with their crosses and censers, censed him as he passed: tapestry, arras, and cloths of gold and silver, were hung on the houses, and rich streamers and bannei's floated in the air. The procession was very splendid. In various parts of the city were goodly pageants and devices, and therein goodly melody, and elo- quent speeches of noble histories. The conduit in Cheapside ran wine, and was richly garnished; near it stood four children, as Grace, Nature, Fortune, and Charity, who, one after the other, made speeches. On a stage, at the foot of the conduit, St. George stood in complete harness, with a page also harnessed, holding his spear and shield, and a fair maiden holding a lamb in a string; near them was a child richly apparelled, to pronounce a Latin oration, and St George •sna to make one in English, but, for lack of time it could not be done, his grace made such speed : howbeit, there was a song. When the king came to St. George's church, in St. Paul's churchyard, there was a rope stretched from the battlements of St. Paul's, and with a great anchor, fastened a litde before Paul's house-gate. When the king approached, there came a man, a native of Arragon, lying on the rope, his head forward, casting his arms and his legs abroad, running on his breast on the rope from the battle- ments to the ground, as it Lad been an arrow out of a bow. Then rising from the ground, he went to the king, and kissed his foot, and after certiun words to his highness, departed, and went up- wards upon the rope till he came over the midst of the cnurch, and there having a rope about him, he played certain mysteries on the said rope, as tumbling, casting one leg from another, tying himself by the right leg a little beneadi 'the wrist' of the foot, and hanging a while re- covered himself upon the rope, unknit the knot, and came down again, which staid the king's majesty, with all the train, a good space of time. Eight French trumpeters blew their trumpets after the fashion of their country, and besides them were a ptur of •regalles,' and children singing to them. The company then proceeded in goodly order till they came to Westminster, to abide the coronation.
The ori^al book upon which all our kings, from Heniy I. to Edward VI. took the coronation oath, is now in the library of a gentleman in Norfolk. It is a manuscript of the four evange-
lists, written on vellum; the form and 1
the letters nearly approaching to Roi
tals. It appears to have been written
pared for the coronation of Henry
ori^nal binding, which is in a perfect s
sists of two oakea boards, nearly an ini
fastened together with stout thongs ol
and the comers defended by large 1
brass. On the right hand side (as thi
opened) of the outer cover is a crucifix
double gilt, which was kissed by the Id .
their inauguration, and the whole is -kfL. 'Ti
together by a strong clasp of brass fi: Tlo -f^
broad piece of leather, nailed on with two large
brass pins.
Edward VI. in the first year of his reign, granted to Grafton a special patent for the sole printing of all statute books. This is the first patent that is taken notice of by that diligent and accurate antiquary, sir William Dugd^e.
About the same time, by an order of Edward VI. the statutes were repealed which prohibited the translation and reading of the scriptures. Injunctions were also issued, and sent into every part of the kingdom, enjoining " that within three months a Bible of the largest volume, in English; and within twelve months Erasmwi't Paraphrase of the Gospels should be provided and set up in some convenient place in every church, the charges to be borne by the parson and the parishioners equally. It is supposed that this translation fixed our language.
1547, Nov, 25. Henrr II. son and successor to Francis I. ordered the faculty of theology at Paris to examine the Bibles published by Robert Stephens;* he issued the following in- quisitorial edict, respecting all religious publica- tions printed or sold by the French booksellers. " We forbid all booksellers and printers, under pain of confiscation of body and goods, to print, or cause to be printed, to sell, or publish, any books concerning the Holy Scriptures, or those which have been brought from Geneva, G ermany , and other foreign countries, unless they have first been seen and examined by the faculty of theology of Paris : nor may any printer or book- seller sell, or expose to sale, any books of Holy Scripture with comments or scholia, except the name and surname of the author be expressed or placed at the beginning of the book; and also the name and sign of the residence of the prin- ter: nor may any printer print in secret or hid- den places, but in his proper oflice, in some pub- lic place, that every one may be answerable for the work he prints. We also forbid all persons, of whatsoever rank or condition, to retain in their possession any books mentioned in the Catalogue of Boohs, condemned by the said faculty of theology."
1647. Fbancis" Stephens (the eldest son of
- After the death of Fnmcis I. and the eennin passed
npon his editions of the scriptures, Robert Stephens with- drew to Genera, where he published an Apologf, in de- fence of himself, against the censures of the doctors of the Sorbonne; and continned to publish a variety of learned woilts till liis death.
VjOOQIC
