Page:A dictionary of printers and printing.djvu/340

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SIXTEENTH CENTURY.

931

had before erected." When she was solemnly coadaeted thiough the city of London, a boy, who personated Truth, was let down from one of the tziumphal arches, and presented her with a copy of the bible, which she received in the most gracious manner, placing it in her bosom, and declaring, that, amidst all the costly tes- timonies which the citizens had that day afiurded of their attachment, this present was far the most piecionsand the most acceptable. When, upon her haring given liberty to the prisoners, who were confined on account of religion, she was told by one Rainsford, that he had a petition to present to her, in behidf of other prisoners, called Mat- thew, Mark, Luke, and John; she readily replied, that she must consult the prisoners themselTes, and learn of them whetner they desired that liberty which he had asked for them. Bishop Jewel, in a private letter to his friend, Bullinger, dated May 22, 1559, observes, " that queen Elizabeth refuses to be called the head of the church, as it was a title that oould ■ot jostly be given to any mortal."

At length we are come to a reign of distin- guished importance in the history of Great Britain. Never, perhaps, was the accession of any princess the subject of such keen and lively interest to a whole people as that of Elizabeth. For the honour of^wbat is usually called the weaker sex, this reign was that of a woman. The first instance, and the immediately pre- ceding instance, of female government m our cottntrr, had not recommended that part of the Englbh constitution which rendered the crown hereditable by women; but the second amply justified this rule of succession; and shewed that a salique law* would not universally be useful; fcs- queen Elizabeth ruled with a wisdom and glory which few men have attained. As a woman she had many &ults, but as a sovereign her splendour was truly great Her administration of foreign affairs, m circumstances of peculiar embarrassment and danger, was wise and vigor- cos; and her solicitude to promote the general prosperity of her subjects was steady and per- severing. In her reign the genius of English- men awoke from torpidity, which had too much depressed it in the preceding reigns, and dis- played itself in noble exploits and manly exer- tions. In a variety of views, the lustre of litera- ture in the period of queen Elizabeth was equal to its lustre in other respects. It may be truly said, that her reign was a rei^ of knowledge and learning, as well as of pohtica) wisdom and military glory .f

1659. Jambs Bdrrel resided " without the north gate of Paules, in the comer house of Paternoster-row, opening into Cheapside." He

  • Br the nUque law no female cmnsaoceed to the erovn.

It <■ in force in Fnnoe, uid is Uie suldect <tf the preunt dispute in Spain.

t The reigns of Elizabeth and Anne, form the brightat annals of ifng-ifah literatuie. May the reign of Victoria I. be as rcsplenilent in the advancement of Itnowledge, and ■s giorions and happy In the prosperity of her people. She ascended the um>ne upon the death of her nnclc, WHliam IV. June 19, 1837, aged IS years and S3 days.

printed A Godly and whole$ome pre$enative againtt detperation, &c. 8vo. Cum privUegio. 1559, June 2.3, Died Thomas Dockwray, who was master of the company of stationers, 1654, 1657. He gave to the company one glass win- dow* in their new hall, and " a spone of sylver- parcel gilt." He was master from December, 1554 to Julv, 1568; and was buried in St. Faith's church, with this epitaph :

Here under thys stone restythe. In the mercy of Ood,

the body of Master Thomas Dockwray, Notary,

late one of the Proctors of the arches,

Cytacen and Stacyoner of London,

and Anne his wyfle.

Which Thomas deceased thexxiiidayeof Judo, an. hduz

And the said Ann deceasyd the.... day

Whose death have yoa In remembnnce^ calling to God for mercy.

1 669, Sept. 22. Died, Robert Stephens, the t celebrated printer of Paris, upon whom De Thou, the distinguished historian, passed the following merited eulo^um. " Not only Fiance, but the whole Christian world, owes more to him than to the g^reatest warrior that ever extended the possessions of his country; and greater glory has redounded to Francis I. by the mdustrv alone of Robert Stephens, than from all the illustrious, warlike, and pacific undertakings in which he was engaged." He was born in the year 1603. Concerning the juvenile history of this very zmIous typographer and eminent scholar, no

  • The introduction of glass windows in Kngland, will

not, perhaps, he uninteresting to many of our readen. That the use of glass, for many pniposes, was known Is this country long previously to the anival of the Normans, cannot be doubted fbr a moment. Among the Romans, we find it prindpaUy applied in beads, nms^ cups, and patem; and In one uiatance, probably to be assigned to the same period, we read of a glass coflln. William of Malmesbnry tells us, that at Wemnouth, In the county of Durham, Benedictus BIsoop built two churches, one dedi- cated to St. Peter, the other to St Paul) adding, "The readers of his life will admire his Industry in bringug over numbers of books, and first introducing into England tiaild- era in stone, and glass windows. Befbra that tin*, the windows had been made of fine lln«n,or latticed wood wwk. Such are the first Instances of the Introduction of glais into churches, although the rarity of Its use for many centuries may be gathered ITom the following particulan : Gunton, In his Hittorf of Pettrionmgli, says, that " Robert de Undesey beautiiyed above thirty of the windows of Peterborough cathedral with glasses, wMeh had ieen irfar* only th^ed with ttraw." In the computus of Bolton ab- bey, 1390, quoted by Dr. Whitaker, there are Tarloua charges that occur for glass windows, building, timber, ftc So late as 1«83, among the privy seals of Richard III. we read of a payment of five pounds to the pttcr of Carlisle, which the king gave toward the making at a gjaas window I and the glazing of some of the windows of King's college chapel Is said to have been paid (or by a fine. Bishop Percy, however, liom the total silenoe throughout the Northumberland Household Book, with regard to glass, was led to believe that this very beantUid and useful maurial, though applied to the decoration of churches, was not, even so late as the beginning of the sixteenth century, very commonly used either in the dwelling-houses of the better order, or castles. The fol- lowing memoranda. If they do not militate against bishop Percy's opinion, at least add something to our illustrations on the subject : —One of the great hoatels of Oxford, which were at that period little more than ordinary houses, (Tom the circninstance of its having glass windows, was called Olaxen Hall. We have the following anecdote in FatfOKft C*roii<el«.'— Speaking of the ttonUea of thatyear.he says, " The soldyors lyenge in Southwerke made many robbo- ryes in SonOirey and other places, and rowed over to Westminster, and spoyled there the king's pal^^and devoured his wyne, and *rii*« Iht glatte <^ Ike r^

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