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 SIXTEENTH CENTURY.

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baring seired the office of warden, was elected master of it in 1670, 1571, 1675, 1576, and 1677. 1577, John Sieninius, palatine of Podolia, in Poland, erected a town which he called Racow, or Rakcu, for the reception of a sect of Unitari- ans, and established a printinfr press for the dissemination of the gospel. The first person who carried on printing at this place was Alexis Rodecki, who had formerly printed at Cracow; his earlist known book is a PoluA New Tata- ment, dated 1577. Rodecki was succeeded by Sebastian Stemacius, under whom the press flou- rished exceedingly. From this press a vast mnltitude of books, composed chiefly by Unita- rians, were issued until the year 1638, when, by a decree of the state, the society was entirely broken up, the professors and scholars were

S'ected, and the school and printing o£Bce, with 1 its materials, destroyed. Almost all the books executed at this place, are from the nature of their contents, and other circumstances, of a very high degree of rarity. The town was elected in theyear 1660, ana named Racow, the Polish word for a crab, from the armorial bear- ings of his wife. Prior to its destruction, his •on James had enlaived the town, and increased tbe printing establiwment.

1677. Jvly 1. In the records of the weekly assembly of Perth, in Scotland, there is the fol- lowing entry : — "The weekly assembly regret that certain inhabitants of this town, against the express command of the civil magistrate, and the prohibition delivered by the minister from the pnlpit, have played Corpus Ckruii play, upon the sixth day of June last, which day was wont to be called Corpus Christi day : whereby they have ofiiended the church of God, and dis- honoured this haill (whole) town; the said play being idolatrous and superstitious." The assem- bly ordained that the guilty persons should re- ceive no benefit from the church till they had showed evidence of their repentance. A similar offence occured soon afterwards. On the 10th of December, in the same year, usually called Sanctoberti'g eve, a very great number of persons passed through the town in disguised dresses, with piping and dancing, and striking a drum. They carried in their hands burning torches. One of the actors was clad in the devil's coat; another rode upon a hoise, which went in man's ^oes. It is probably the horse and its rider re- presented a part of the history of the saint, who seems to have been the patron saint made choice of by the bakers incorporation, as the offenders were of that trade.

1577. Avfftut 6. Queen Elizabeth grants a license to John Day, and Richard Day his son, during their lives, and that of the longest liver, to print the Ptalnu of David, in metre, Ike.

1577. Henry Bahford printed a profitable treatiee of the anatomy of man* body; campyled by that exeeelUnt chirugion, M. Thomas V\cary, esquire, Serjeant to the qveen, and chief chirugion to St. Bartholomews hospital, Src- I2mo.

Pocket watches were first brought into Eng- land, from Oennaay.

1577. The Paradyse of Daynty Devises. Con- leyning sundry paltry precepts, (earned counsels, and excellent inventions, right pleasant and pro- fitable for all estates. Devised and written for the most part by M. Edwards, formerly of her Majesties Chapell : the rest by sundry learned gentlemen both of honour and worship. Imprint- ed at London by Henry Ditle, dwelling in Pauls Church Yard, at the south west door of Saint Paules Church Yard, and are there to be sold.

Of this book, notwithstanding its extraordi- nary rarity, there were no less than eight editions from 1577 to 1600. " When it is considered," says Mr. Beloe, " how very popular this work was, and through what a variety of editions the work passed, it seems astonishing that it should be so exceedingly scarce, that a perfect copy is hardly known." At the death of Henry Disle, which took place in July, 1582, the copy of this book was granted to Timothe Rider, by the court of assistants.

1577, Oct. 7. Died, George Gascoigne, an English poet, who in harmony of diction moved wi^out a peer. The biave, the handsome, and the gay, but dissipated genius Gascoi^e, vm>te the first English comedy in prose; his tragedy of Jocasta, which was acted at Grey's Inn, in 1566, is the second theatrical piece in blank verse; he also published a poem in blank veise, entitled Steel Glass, 1576. His works were pub- lished in 1675, with this title, the Posies of George Gascoigne, Esq. corrected and augmented by the author. Tarn Marti quam Mercurio. Printed at London, for Richard Smith, and are to be tolde at the North West Doore of PauPt church. The first notice concerning poetry in this country is seen at the end of Gascoigne's poems published in 1575; and again with his works in 1687, was printed Certayne Notes of Instruction eoncermng the making of Verse or Ryme. In the British museum there exists an unpublished poem by Gascoigne, entitled the Grief of Joy, Certayne Elegies,wherein the doubt- full Delights of Manes Lyfe are displaied. — Written to the queenes moste excellent majeslie. Tarn Marti quam Mercurio. 1576.

1677, Nov. 18. NiCASius Yetsweirt, was clerk of the privy seal, and secretary to queen Elizabeth for the French tongue. By virtue of a license, of this date, granted him for printing

• The Hret Po«tlcal Ml»cell»ny published in EnglmDd wu printed by Richard Tottle In US7, which w«8 ftmpwed br a Kcond in 1565. Warton 1« of opinion that this Mlscel- lany gave occasion for the Panufyu of Daj/ntf DaUet, moA Bnglaxd-t Helicon, published in iBoo, second edition, 1614. Oor poetical historian, Warton, speaks of a Hiscd- lany printed in 1J67 or 1566, entitled JVeioe SoiK/tet, and Pretty Pumpklettes, tie. „ ^ ,

TheOorreous Oatlerf of QaUmt ItaenUoni, a poetical miscellany, succeeded the Paradue of Dainty Dnitet, and was printed in ISSS, foUowed by a BmifMvf Pleasant DeHgUs, in 1584. ,

» The whole woorkra of Georgre Gascoigne, esqnyn, newlyo compyled into one volume, that Is say, his flouns, heibes, wecdes, the fruit of warre, the comedy called Supposes, the tragedie of Jocasta, the Steel G1»m, the complaint of Phylomlne, the story of Ferdenando Jeronl- ml. and the pleasure of Kenllworth castle. London, to. printed by Abel Jeffs, dweUlng in the Porestrtte wJthont Criplecate neere unto Orabstrete, 1587. 4to.

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