Page:Barnfield's Poems.djvu/171

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English Reprints. 15 16. JAMES HOWELL, Clerk of the Council to CHARLES I. ; afterwards Historiographer to Charles II. Instructions for Foreign Travel. 1642. Instructions for forreinetravell. Shew- ing by what cours , and in what compasse of time , one may take an exact Survey of the Kingdomes and States of Christendome , and arrive to the prac- ticall knowledge of the Languages , to good purpose . Th zMurra y, Baedeker, and Practical Guide to the Grand Tour of Europe, which, at thattime, was considered the finishing touch to the complete education of an English Gentleman. The route sketched out by this delightfully quaint Writer, is France, Spain, Italy, Swit- zerland, Germany, the Nether- lands, and Holland. The time allowed is 3 years and 4 months : the months to be spent in travelling, the years in residence at the different cities. i7- NICHOLAS UDALL, Master, first of Eton College , then of Westminster School . Roister Doister, [1553-1566.] This is believed to be the first true English Comedy that ever came to the press. From the unique copy, which wants a title-page, now at Eton College; and which is thought to have been printed in 1566. Dramatis Personoe . Ralph Roister Doister. Matthew Merrygreek. Gawin Goodluck, affianced to Dame Custance. TristramTrusty, his friend. Dobinet Doughty, “boy” to Roister Doister. Tom Truepenny, servant to Dame Custance. Sim Suresby, servant to Goodluck. Scrivener. Harpax. Dame Christian Custance, a widow. Margery Mumblecrust, her nurse. Tibet Talkapace) her Annot Alyface > maidens 18. A Monk of Evesham. The Revela- tion, &c. n86[-i4io]. 1485. IT Here begynnyth a maruelousreuelacion that was schewyd of almighty god by sent Nycholas to a monke of Euyshamme yn the days of Kynge Richard the fyrst. And the yere of owre lord. M. C.Lxxxxvi. One of the rarest of English books printed by one of the earliest of English printers, William de Maclinia; who printed this text about 1485, in the lifetime of C A XTON. The essence of the story is as old as^ it professes to be ; but contains later additions, the orthography . being of about 1410, It is very de- voutly written, and contains a curious Vision of Purgatory. The Writer is a prototype of Bunyan ; and his description of the Gate in the Crystal Wall of Heaven, and of the solemn and marvellously sweet Peal of the Bells of Heaven that came to him through it, is very beautiful.