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 SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.

446

1603. Th» Oliv* Leaft or UnivenaU Abet, wherein is set foorth that creation, descent, and authoritie of letters, together with the estimation, profit, affinitie of declination of them, for the familiar use of all students, teachers and learners of what chirography soever most necessarie. By two tables, newly and briefly composed, charac- tericall and syllabicall, of Alexander Top, gent. Imprinted at London, by William White, for George Vincent, dwelling in Great Wood-street, at the sign of the Hand in Hand, where they are to be sold. 1603.

This is a curious tract on the subject of a universal alphabet. The author introduces his little volume with these lines :

THE AUTHOR TO HIS BOOKE.

Farewell my little booke, and tell thy friends

The deluge of the deepe confaslon eba ;

Then ihew thy leafe to all, but hailc the best.

And safely leave it in their holy hands.

That win aproot thy langoa^, cleere Uiy sense

As matter but of meere preeminence.

Yet as the starre that onward brinees the sunne.

Thou hast perfection where thy li^t tieffunne :

Tliis tell thy friendes, and little booke farewell.

1603. The Batchellan Banquet; or a Banquet for Batchelan : wherein is prepared sundrie dainties to furnish their table, curiously drest, and seriously ser\'ed in pleasantly discouring the variable humours of women, their quicknesse of wittes and unsearchable deceits.

View them well, but taste not ; Regard them well, but waste not

London, printed by Thomas Creed, and are to be solde by T. P.

1603. Simon STRAFtORD or Stafford dwelt on Addle-hill, near Carter-lane. In 1599 he printed the following work :

TTie hUtory of Henrie the fourth ; with the battell of Shrewsburie, between the king and lord Henry Percy, sumamed Hotupur of the North. With the humourous conceit! of nr John Fal- ttaffe, Newley corrected by W. Shakespeare. London, imprinted by S. S. for Andrew Wise. 1S99. 4(0. The firtt part of this play was en- tered on the books of the stationers' company, February 25, 1598 ; and the second part is en- tered August 23, 1600.

In 1603, Strafford printed, Psalmae Ybren- hinol brophuuyd Dafydh, gwedi i cynghanedhu mewn mesurau cymreig. Gan Gapten William Middleton, Yn nisaf y gallodh at fedhwl yr yspryd gldn Simon Stafford, a Thomas Salisbury at printtodhm Llunden. In the epistle to the reader, which is in English, the printer says, he begun the printing of the psalms in the like kind of British metre, as they were sung in the church of England ; and says, there are divers other good things ready for the press ; as namely, the British Testament, lately corrected by the bbhop of St. Asaph.

1603. Richard Yardley and Peter Short were in partnership for many years, and dwelt in Bread-street-hill, at the sig^ of the Star. In 1603 Mr. Short gave 10*. a year for twenty-six

years to the poor of the company of stationers, charged on a tenement in Monkwell-street, held under St. Bartholomew's hospital. Twenty-six works bear their imprint; the last of which was the following: — A newe, cheape, and delicate fire of cole-balles, wherein seacole is by the mixture of other combustible bodies, both sweetened and multiplied. Also, A speedie way for the winning of any breach ; with some other new and seruice- able inventions antwerabU to the Time. 4tO.

1603, October 29. The company of stationers obtained a patent from king James I. for the sole j)rinting of Primers, Psalms, Almanacks, Sec, in English, for the help and relief of them and their successors for ever.

1603. Adam Islip practised the art from the year 1594 to 1603. In 1598 he printed The works of our ancient asid learned English poet, Geffery Chaucer. This piece has a good copper pnnt of Chaucer at leng^th, with his pedigree and arms, as by Thomas Occleve is described, who lived in his time, and was his scholar. This print, with the mark engraved on it, and said to be at the charges of Bonham Norton, is also put to the folio edition in 1602, in the title page of which book these additions are said to be made, 1. In the life of Chaucer many things inserted. 2. The whole worke by old copies re- formed. 3. Sentences and prouerbs noted. 4. The signification of the old and obscure words prooura; also caracters, shewing from what tongue or dialect they be deriued. 5. The Latine and French, not Englished by Chaucer, translated. 6. The treatise called Jacke Vpland against friers; and Chaucer's a, b, c, (»]led. La Priere de nostre Dame, at this impression added. Folio.

Aiev to Unknown Knowledge, or a Shop of Five Windowe*.

Which if you do open, to cheapen and copen. You will be unwilling, for many a shilling. To part with the profit that you shall have of It.

Consisting of fiue necessarie treatises, namely, 1. The judgement of vrines. 2. Judiciall rules of physicke. 2. Questions of oyles. 4. Opini- ons for curing of harquehush shot. 5. A dis- course of humane nature. Translated from Hippocrates, by M.John de Bourges, physician. Printed for Edward White. 1599. 4to.

1603. There were at this time at Oxford (where for many years was neither book nor student to be seen,) 2000 and above of excellent choice volumes set up and reduced into a cata- logue. King James appointed sir Thomas Bod- ley (lately knighted by him) the jounder thereof. So great was bis zeal for obtaining books, and for furnishing of it, that among other means, persuaded the society of stationers in London to give a copy of every book that was printed, (since confirmed by the charters of kings,) but also searched for authors to do the like.

1603. The fourth volume of Gallo-Belgicus which was published in thb year, was compiled by Caspar Lorchan, for William Lutzenkirch. Success soon gave rise to rivalship. The fifth

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