The Meditations of ......

The Green Knight ...... worth

4. Item-A Book in print of the play of......

5. Item-A Book lent Midelton, and therein is

Belle Dame sans Merci.

The Parliament of Birds.

Ballad of Guy and Colbrond,

......

the Goose, the ......

The Disputing between Hope and Despair.

......

Merchants.

The Life Saint Cry

6. A red Book that Percival Robsart gave me ; of the Meeds of the Mass.

The Lamentation of Child Ipotis.

A Prayer to the Vernicle,

called the Abbey of the Holy Ghost.

7. Item-in quires, Tully de Senectute in diverse whereof there is no more clear writing.

8. Item-in quires, Tully or Cypio [Cicero] de Amicitia, left with William Worcester, worth

.....

9. Item-in quires, a Book of the Policy of I...... 10. Item in quires, a Book de Sapientia,

wherein the second person is likened to Sapience.

11. Item-a Book de Othea, [on Wisdom] text and

gloss, worth in quires.

.....

Memorandum; mine old Book of Blazonings of

Arms.

Item-the new book portrayed and blazoned. Item-a Copy of Blazonings of Arms, and the names to be found by letter [alphabetically]. Item-a Book with arms portrayed in paper. Memorandum; my Book of Knighthood, and the manner of making of Knights of Justs, of Tournaments;

fighting in lists; paces holden by soldiers; Challenges; Statutes of War; and de Regimine Principum .... worth

Item-a Book of new Statutes from Edward the IV.

5th of November, E. IV.

THE next writer of note is CAXTON, our first printer. But before I speak particularly of him, it will be proper to give a brief view of the literature of France, during the latter centuries of the middle ages, as that is the chief source whence Caxton drew his materials for enriching his vernacular language.

From the thirteenth century, to about the middle of the fifteenth, the French had been occupied in translating books from the Latin. They consisted chiefly of legends, rituals, monastic rules, chronicles, pandicts and feudal coutumes, romances, &c. To these we may also add, versions of some of the classics. These translations were commonly in verse. But in the year 1207, Turpin's Charlemagne, contrary to the usual practice of turning Latin prose into French rhimes, was translated into French prose, by Michael de Harnes. And a Life of Charles the Great, was printed by Caxton, in 1485.

In the year 1245, a system of theology, the seven sciences, geography, and natural philo

sophy, under the title Speculum Mundi, was translated into French, at the instance of the duke of Berry and Auvergne. This was converted into English, and printed by Caxton in

1480.

In the fourteenth century, the spirit of devoțional curiosity—a spirit kindled by St. Louiswas still more productive of holy treatises. Under the reign of king John and Charles V. we have French translations of St. Austin, Cassianus, and Gregory the Great, the first of the fathers which appeared in a modern tongue. Also Gregory's Homilies, and his Dialogues; with St. Austin de Civitate Dei; and various other treatises which it is unnecessary to particularise.

John, the French king, on his return from his captivity in England, was particularly zealous in his encouragement of this work of translation; and when he had fatigued his curiosity, and satisfied his conscience, by procuring numerous versions of religious treatises, he at last directed his attention to the classics. It was a circumstance auspicious to letters, that he was ignorant of the Latin: for this ignorance rendered him the

more curious to become acquainted with the treasures of Roman learning; and he employed Peter Bercheur, prior of St. Eloi, at Paris, an eminent theologian, to translate Livy into French, in spite of the anathema of pope Gregory against that admirable historian. So judicious a choice was doubtless suggested by Petrarca, who was at this time resident at the court of France, and who regarded Livy with enthusiastic admiration. To the translation of Livy, succeeded those of Sallust, Lucan, and Cæsar, all of which were probably finished before the year 1365. A version of Valerius Maximus was begun in 1364, by Simon de Hesdin, a monk; but finished by Nicolas de Gonesse, a master of theology, in 1401. Ovid's Metamorphoses moralized, supposed to have been written in Latin about 1070, were translated by Guillaume de Nangis; and the same poem was translated into French, at the request of Jane de Bourbonne, afterwards consort of Charles V. by Philip Vitri, bishop of Meaux, the friend of Petrarca, and who was living in 1361. A French version, too, of Cicero's Rhetorica, by master John de Antioche, appeared in 1383.