RECENT ACQ_UISITIONS

English Language Collections

Selected acquisitions 1982-1987

By Jean Archibald and Elizabeth James

ANTHONY, Prior ofCrato, calling himself AT/nof Portugal. Psalmes of confession, found inthe cabinet of the most excellent King ofPortingal, Don Antonio . . . written with hisowne hand . . . Translated out of the Latinecopies, printed at Paris by Frederike Morell.London: printed by G. Bishop, R. Nuberie, andR. Barker, 1596. 12°: A

Anthony (1531-1595) was the natural son ofLuis, Duke of Beja, brother of John III, Kingof Portugal. He joined the Knights of St John,still at that period a mihtary order, and becamePrior of Crato. After the death of King Sebas-tian, he laid claim to the throne of Portugalbut was defeated by Philip II of Spain whohad himself crowned as Philip I.

Failing to achieve success on the Continenthe came to England and sought help fromElizabeth. A fleet was fitted out, with Drakein command, which sailed in 1589, with thetwo-fold object of retaliation for the Armadaand establishing Anthony as King of Portugal.The combination of Elizabeth's parsimonyin provisioning the expedition and Drake'sconcentration on plunder resulted in the lossof many English hves and the failure of theattempt, although Drake and the Queen wereconsiderably enriched.

Despite his military endeavours and thebegetting often illegitimate children, Anthony

apparently found some time for his religiousduties. The Latin text of these Meditationswas reported to have been found in his closetafter his death in Paris in 1595. The first Latinedition does not seem to have survived. Thiscopy of the English translation, possibly thefirst translation of any kind, is in a contempor-ary embroidered binding and is one of onlytwo known copies. The other is in Marsh'sLibrary, Dublin.

In the seventeenth century the work becamesomething of a best seller with numerouseditions of the Latin text and translations intovarious languages including two new Englishversions.

STC 690. C.i83.aa.6.

BRAY, Thomas. Bibliotheca catechetica: or,the country curates library Being an essaytowards providing all the parochial cures ofEngland, endow'd with not above ten poundsper annum, with a study of usefuU books oflike value, etc. London: printed for WilliarnHawes, 1699. 4°: A** a C^ D^-H^ P F H* P.

Thomas Bray's self-appointed mission in lifewas to provide libraries for the impoverishedAnglican parishes. In this he was very success-ful and to his selfless labour we owe anenormous debt.

209

Parsons in parishes worth only £10-15 pa-could never hope to furnish a library, andwithout access to books, they were hindered intheir battle against the challenges ofthe godless.Bray initially wanted books to support ministersin their catechising work and to this endsupplies lists of books, of different sizes andamounts, for different cases (i.e. poorer/richer/abler clerics), appealing to his more affluentreaders to contribute money or books to thiseminently worthy end. In Bibliotheca catechet-ica, a rather confusing book in its make-up,perhaps produced immediately before Bray'sdeparture to Maryland, he gives lists of titlesand reasons for possessing them.

II ' fhe CMldfsrmor. """"TIic IflarJ-dog isfhaggcihere

you Tec,His roo much hair feems a de-

formity.Long niay King C/)rfr/ live,and

wcai-hisCrown,To tread all Herefie and Schifra

down.The Voice of Kings by all mufl

COR IN, Festus. The childes first tutor: or, themaster & mistris. Teaching children an easieand delightful way to learn the twenty fourletters, to spell, and read true English in ashort time. London: printed for F. Cosstnet,1664. 16°: A»-E«.

This is apparently the second enlarged editionof a work which was first entered to Cossinetin the Stationers' Register for 13 May 1661. Itrepresents a very early attempt to teach thealphabet by means of pictures. At this time Jand V were not distinguished from I and U.Most of the letters are represented by fairlyobvious illustrations. H is for horse and K forking but occasionally, as with I, the choice ismore obscure:

The Island-dog is shagged bere you see.His too much hair seems a deformity.

cyM ;• The Lyons roaring makes the

beaf s afraiil.The ^Monkey is inclin'd to niii-

thief mu,^^0, who are IuU'tl aflecp , arc

doing ill.

^ is watchful, tho his Maflerfleep;l e t holy Angels guard oiir gracious King,The Lyns voice makes fmaller beafts roObedience ii tn God a loveiy thing, (^creep,The'^o/i^ey'slike rhedevil,fti]l defign'dTo rrouSie us , wken w' 4re to good in-

i i ' i Tfct

The

C.i86.e.28.

the revised version. Its survival may have beenhelped by the sturdy contemporary blind-stamped binding, with the Royal arms on thefront and a Knight in armour on the back, butit was guaranteed by the happy accident thatit was 'immured' shortly after publication andonly recently recovered when an interior wall ofa cottage in Hampshire was being demolished.

Not in Wing. Ci86.e.28.

Perhaps this is the original shaggy dog.At the end of this little book Corin thought-

fully suggests that the child should now beready for The Childes-book and Youths-book

GERBIER, Balthazar. To the lovers of vertueattending the lecture on the 12th day ofDecember 1649. In the Academy of SirBalthazar Gerbier. [London, 1649]. s. sh.

One of the many schemes devised by Gerbierduring his long and eccentric life was the

which had first been printed for Cossinet in foundation of an Academy of the Muses in his1659. The perishable nature of these little house at Bethnal Green in 1649. It was to beworks of instruction is indicated by the fact based on the Museum Minervae which Sirthat no copy of the first edition has been Francis Kynaston had founded in 1635 inrecorded and this is the only known copy of Covent Garden, but which had closed in 1642.

210

Young gentlemen, especially those who in-tended to travel abroad, were to be taught awide variety of subjects, including astronomy,navigation, architecture, drawing, fortification,fireworks, military discipline, the art of civilconversation, history and riding. All the teach-ing appears to have been by Gerbier himself,and for the benefit of those who could notattend full-time, he gave a public lecture eachWednesday.

The project failed by 1650, but not beforeGerbier had published many of his lectures,copies of which are in the Thomason tractswhere too are copies of many of Gerbier'sbroadsides advertising the Academy. Thisnewly acquired broadside appears to be unre-corded and in it Gerbier announces a forth-coming lecture on 'the military art' and rathertries to justify his Academy, pointing out itsusefulness, the public spiritedness ofthe wholeendeavour and emphasizing his own altruismin setting it up.

Not in Wing. C.i6i.fi.(69.)

HUGHES, Thomas. Life and Times of PeterCooper. London: MacmiUan, 1886. pp. 245.

Towards the end of his life, Thomas Hughes,perhaps best known today as the author of TomBrown's Schooldays, wrote four biographicalworks, but one of them, this life of PeterCooper, was never published.

Hughes had met Cooper, the Americanindustrialist and founder of the successfulworking men's college, the Cooper Union, inNew York during September 1870 while stay-ing with Abram Hewitt, Cooper's son-in-law.It was at Hewitt's request that Hughes agreedto write a biography of Cooper after the latter'sdeath in 1883. Source material, particularly inthe form of Cooper's 'Reminiscences', wasprovided by Hewitt who clearly took a closeinterest in the project.

From Hughes's point of view this quicklybecame a problem: all proofs had to be sent toNew York for approval, and Hewitt arranged

for a friend there to write the chapter on theCooper Institute. From May to December 1885Hughes's letters to his publisher MacmiUancontinually refer to Hewitt's failure to supplyinformation or return proofs, until, after aparticularly long delay, he wrote on 27 Febru-ary 1886 'I can't think what has happened toHewitt—suppose Mrs H. has objected to someof my disclosures of the many eccentricities ofher excellent father . . .'

Indeed, within a few weeks it became obviousthat the family would not agree to publication,although in forbidding it Hewitt did not appar-ently insist on total suppression of the fiftycopies in print. Hughes was allowed to keepfifteen, and the remainder were sent to NewYork, according to a letter of 4 June in theMacmiUan archives. Hughes concludes thisletter 'It was a most troublesome task fromthe frightful muddle of the great mass ofmanuscripts and other materials which wereshunted on me, and it has cost me a year'swork in leisure hours'.

This copy, still largely uncut, bears tbebookplate of Frederick MacmiUan.

C.i9o.aa.2o.

Livius, Titus, pseud. The surprising historyof a late long administration, shewing thewonderful transactions, the wise negotiations,the prudent measures, and the great eventsof that most astonishing period. London:printed at the sign ofthe Mushrom [sic] in Pop-tn Alley, just poping out of King's Court, 1746.36°: A-B^2 Q4 (^j^2 blank; A5-8 signed Ai -3; -C4, presumably blank).

An amusing squib, presented in the guise ofa children's book in which the short-livedadministration of Granville and Bath in 1746is satirised. Their ministry lasted only from 10to 12 February and is wittily described in aletter of 14 February from Horace Walpoleto Horace Mann.

The pamphlet is printed in large type andbound in the original floral wrappers. The

211

T H E

Surprifing HISTORYOf a late long

Adminiftration,S H E W I N G

The wonderful Tranfa£li-ons, the wife Negociati-ons, the prudent Mea-fures, and the greatEvents of that moft aftonilhing Period.

By TITUS LIVIUS, jun,

L O N DO N:Printed at the Sign of the Mujhrom

in Pop.in Alley, juft popingcf King'% Courc, 1746.

C.i86.a.28.

author ends: 'This worthy history I havefaithfully recorded in this mighty Vol. that itmay be read with the valuable Works of ourimmortal country-man Thomas Thumb by ourChildren, Grand Children and Great GrandChildren to the End ofthe World.'

C.i86.a.28.

L U I S , de Granada, [Luis Sarria]. A paradiceof prayers: containing the purity of devotion,and meditation Gathered out of all the spiri-tuall exercises of Lewes of Granado: & Eng-lished for the benefit of the Christian reader.London: printed by I R [James Roberts] forMathew Law, 1605. 12°: A-P'^ (lacking Aiand P12, presumably blank, P i i is blank andpresent).

A translation of extracts from the works ofLuis de Granada, the Spanish Dominican,made from the Latin version of Michael abIsselt was published in London in 1601 withthe title The flowers of Lodowicke of Granada.The translator's name appears on the title-pagein the form 'T.L. Doctor of Phisicke' and hasbeen identified as Thomas Lodge. A paradiceof prayers is a companion work and thoughhaving no clue as to the translator in the workitself, the entry for it in the Stationers' Registerfor 22 May 1601 reads 'Englyshed by T.L.'.A. F. Allison in his bibliography of Lodge(London, 1973) accepts it as being Lodge'stranslation. This 1605 edition predates by fouryears the earliest extant edition in STC andAllison's bibliography.

Not in STC. C.i86.bb.3.

MATHER, Richard. A short introduction intoEnglish orthography: or, the method of truespelling. Published for the common good: andespecially for the use of a private grammarand writing-school in White-Cross-Street.London: printed for Thomas Cockerill, 1693.12°: A-C 12

In his preface, Mather, schoolmaster in White-cross Street, bewails the low standard of spellingand its teaching. He uses the question andanswer format in the book, covering pronunci-ation as well as spelling, and includes a longlist of homonyms. This work is given animperfect entry in Alston, derived from theequally imperfect entry in the Term Cata-logues. The history of the standardisation ofspelling is long, and this rare item is a usefulcontribution to it.

Not in Wing. C.i9O.aa.27.

PAGET, Francis, Bishop of Oxford. The virtueof simplicity: a sermon preached in theCathedral Church of Christ in Oxford onSunday, January 23, 1898. [Oxford, ilp p . I I .

2 1 2

This sermon marks the deaths of two impor- under his own rather than the publisher'stant figures in the history of Christ Church:Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, who died on 14

name.

January 1898, and the former Dean, HenryQ iqoaa2S.

Dodgson, the creator of'Alice', and Liddell,the father of Alice, had not always been inagreement in life, but it seems appropriate thatthey should have been united in this tribute.

RABISHA, William. The whole body of cookerydissected, taught, and fully manifested, etc.London: printed for George Calvert and RalphSimpson, 1682. 8^: A^ a« b' B-T« U" .

Cup.4io.b.ioo.

QUARTERLY MUSICAL REGISTER written andcollected by A. F. C. Kollmann. London:published for the editor by Becker and Porter,1812. 8^ No. I,II.

A good bibliography of early cookery books, inthe wake of MacLean's work on the eighteenthcentury, is eagerly awaited. The seventeenthcentury saw a great flowering of cookery books,both translated from the French and home-grown, the best known probably being Thequeen's closet opened. Contemporary diaristsfrequently refer to their eating habits and it is

The growth of the periodical press from the interesting to read Rabisha's remarkably clearlate eighteenth century was as important a part and intelligible cookery book of this period. Ofofcontemporary cultural development in music Rabisha nothing is known, but he describesas in art or literature. Journals devoted specific- himself in the preface (which appears first inally to the subject were, not surprisingly, more the edition of 1661) as having been 'broughtcommon in Germany than England, but in the up in the Family of an honourable Lady, whofirst issue of the Quarterly Musical Register, spared for no cost nor charge, for my instructionKollmann was pleased to report that music 'is in the said Art, not only at home in her House,become not only far more general in thiscountry than it was before; but also muchimproved in some, though not in an equaldegree in all its departments'. Although short-lived, this was one of the earliest specialistmusical periodicals to be pubhshed in England.

Augustus Frederic Christopher Kollmann, aGerman by birth, was appointed organist ofthe Royal German Chapel at St James's in

but also abroad in the late Kings Courtand in the Houses of certain honourable Per-sons, and at the entertainment of Embassadors'.

Not in Wing. C.i86.b.2o.

1782 and spent the rest of his life in thiscountry. He is best remembered for his bookson musical theory, but he was extremely activein London music circles, and did much to

RiCARDO, David, the younger. Emigrationconsidered as a means of relief in the presentdistressed condition ofthe poor in this neigh-bourhood. Stroud: printed by J. P. Brisley,1838. 8°: pp. II.

David Ricardo, who inherited Gatcombe Parkfrom his father, took the duties of landlord

improve the understanding of German music. seriously: this is one of several pamphlets whichHis concerns are reflected in this magazine, he published on topics of local concern.with articles on the state of music in Germany,the art of J. S. Bach, and descriptions of thelatest instruments, as well as summaries of hisown theories. In fact, he wrote so much of thematerial himself that he felt obliged to take the concern, however, was characteristically for therather unusual step of issuing the magazine individuals involved, whom he saw as victims

213

The arguments being rehearsed at this periodabout the emigration ofthe poor to the colonieswould have been familiar to Ricardo as chair-man of the Stroud Board of Guardians. His

ofthe economic situation. In this pamphlet herecommends the taxpayers of the parish tosupport the policy on the grounds that 'thisneighbourhood is but one vast family'.

1578/4707-

R I C H , Jeremiah. An elegy on the death of theworthily honoured the Lord Charles Rich.[London, 1664]. s. sh.

Jeremiah Rich is best remembered as a writeron shorthand, his works in verse being less wellknown. The subject of this elegy, Charles,Lord Rich, who died probably of smallpox, atthe age of twenty-two in 1664, may well havebeen tenuously related to its author. The three-lined stanzas form an acrostic, the initial letterof the first line of each making up the name ofthe deceased, but the poem itself has no greatliterary merit.

Not in Wing. C.i6i.f 1.(70.)

first decade of the nineteenth century, and inhis efforts to appeal to the fashionable readerresorted to a variety of devices, explained byDr P. Garside in a recent article (The Library,ix, no. 3, September 1987), amongst them theassociation of dubious translations with well-known names.

C.i90.aa.2i.

T.,s. The childs book and youths book intwo parts. The first teaching an easie anddelightful way to read true English . . . Thesecond containing a method for spelling, acatechism . . . a copy book . . . rules forarithmetick . . . The eighth edition. London:printed by E.T. and R.H.for R. Royston, 1672.16°: A^-K^ (with 4 engraved leaves insertedbetween G and H).

This was originally entered to Francis Cossinetin the Stationers' Register for 13 June 1659.This and a defective copy of the fifth edition

S T A E L - H O L S T E I N , Anne Louise Germainede. Margaret of Strafford: an historical ro-mance, interspersed with several anecdotes ofthe reign of Charles II . . . London: J FHughes, 1803. 12^. 5 vols.

This novel, although attributed on the titlepageto Madame de Stael, has been consistentlydiscarded by her bibliographers and critics. Itis a translation of the anonymous Margueritede Strafford . . . par Madame de *** (Paris,1803), apparently made by James Barton whowas himself the author of novels with titlessuch as The Remorseless Assassin.

Madame de Stael's first notable novel Del-phine was published in London early in 1803.It met with little critical approval in England,but the subject-matter and its treatment en-hanced her already notorious reputation. There -seems at least some possibility that J. F. Hughesseized upon this circumstance when publishing •Margaret of Strafford and used her notorietyto further its sales. Hughes published a con-siderable amount of popular fiction during the

214

-^

CHILDS'BOOKI

YOUTH^S BOOK^In two Parts. ^

The Firft teaching an caGe and dc- T^lightfejl way to reaJ true Engliih, with ^ ^ftveral things neceiiary for Children to ^be inftruaed in: As /rayerSjGraccsjBe- ^luvior,& choice places ot Scripturej &c. ^

The Second . ^Containing a Method for SpeUingj ^

A Catechjr-n , A confcilion of Faithj ^ *A Copy Book, A perpetual .Almanack, ^ ^A Clironology, Rules fur Arithmetick, ^A form of Inditing Lcttcr5) and choiceofTrades: With other ufefui things,Tks Eijr hth EditioH by S. t . _

L O N D O N ,Printed by £. T. ar>d K, H. fov K^cyficr:,BocAfclIer to the Kings moft facred Ma--jtfty, and are to be fold at the Angel '

in S, FciHlt Cliurch^yard, t6r^.

C.186.C.29.

of 1661 sold at Sotheby's in 1970 are apparentlythe only surviving representatives of the firsteight editions.

Apart from the interesting light this shedson educational methods in Restoration England,it is amusing to note the way the book has beenpatchily updated. The portrait of Charles IIand the illustration of the Royal Oak could justpossibly have appeared in the first edition. 'Aletter of Counsel from a Father to a son' isdated June 18 1672, but the 'Answer from adutiful son' retains the original date July 101658. The book also contains a puff for 'TheChildes first Tutor' which can be obtained 'atthe Anchor and Mariner in Tower-street' theaddress of Cossinet, the original publisher.

C.i86.e.29.

THOMAS, Dylan. Galsworthy, and Gaws-worth. [fltti/] Two epigrams of fealty. [London:privately printed by John Gawswortk, 1954?].pp. [4] and pp. [4].

These two leaflets contain three verses ori-ginally written by Dylan Thomas for JohnGawsworth at the bar of a pub in Soho,according to Gawsworth's own record as quotedin Maud, Dylan Thomas tn Print (London,1970). Although the verses are personally un-flattering, not to say insulting, to Gawsworth,he nonetheless printed them as a memorial toThomas after his death in 1953. The editionof approximately thirty copies was producedfor members of the Court of Redonda—a groupof writers and hterary figures nominated tofictitious titles by Gawsworth as *King Juan Iof Redonda.' This was a title he inherited fromthe novelist M. P. Shiel, whose father hadlaid claim—although this was never officiallyrecognised—to the tiny West Indian island ofRedonda or Rodundo.

John Gawsworth (T. I. F. Armstrong) wasan anthologist, an editor of literary journalssuch as the Poetry Review, and, for a short timein 1932-3, proprietor of the Twyn BarlwmPress, mainly publishing poems of his own

TWO EPIGRAMS

FEALTYby

DYLAN THOMASDEJKE OF GWENO

(Cr. 1947)

REALM OF REDONDA

Thirty memorial copies privately primed

for Members of the Coiirt

Not for sale. \ Copy No.:^...

Cup.4io.b.64.

composition. As such, he was part of the artisticlife of London during the 1930s and 40s, butalthough he described himself and Thomas as*boon companions', it is likely that this senti-ment sprang as much from the particularcohesiveness of their circles during the difficultwar years as from any real friendship. Theirrelationship was probably limited to the pubsof Soho and Fitzrovia.

These ephemeral verses by Thomas, typicalof many that were scribbled on scraps of paperto amuse or abuse friends in such surroundings,are in real contrast to the carefully craftedpublished poems of one who took his poetryso seriously.

TussER, Thomas. Fiue hundreth pointes ofgood husbandrie . . . newlie augmented to afourth part more, etc. London: printed inthe now dwelling house of Henrie Denham,1586. 4°: A-K8 U.

215

It is ironic that the author of these immensely life and habits. First published in 1557 aspopular verses on the duties of the agricultural 'A hundreth good pointes', Tusser soon en-year should himself have been a failure as a larged it to five hundred, adding a section onfarmer, and died a debtor in prison. The *huswiferie' and a rather touching verseenduring popularity of the work (an edition autobiography,was published by OUP in 1984) is due to itshomely style and tbe inclusion of a large 5 r C 24382.amount of factual information about Tudor

NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS

JEAN ARCHIBALD: Formerly Assistant Keeper in the Department of Printed Books.

SALLY BROWN: Manuscript Collections.

ELIZABETH JAMES: English Language Collections.

HILTON KELLIHER: Manuscript Collections.

JOANNA LEEVERS: English Language Collections.

BARBARA MCCRIMMON: Librarian and author, of Tallahasse, Florida.

CHRIS MICHAELIDES: Western European Collections.

DAVID FATE NORTON: Professor of Philosophy, McGill University.

RUTH WEBB: General Inspector, English and Drama, Education, the London Borough

of Bromley.

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