Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 3.djvu/588

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [10* s. in. JUNE 24, 1005.

reading ' chinando la mia alia sua faccia.' " I -am inclined to go further, and hold that there is everything to be said in its favour, Scar- tazzini and Benvenuto notwithstanding. The 'former absurdly asks, "Come poteva chinare la sua alia faccia di Brunetto, se questi era tanto piu basso ? " It was precisely because Dante was on a higher, and Latini on a lower level, that the poet "bent his face to his," that he might the better scan the features of his " viso abbruciato." It is unreasonable to -suggest, as Benvenuto does, that he reached down " ut tangeret eum in fronte." Wherein lay the advantage of such an action 1 It was to recognize fully and hear more readily, not merely touch or embrace or caress, his un- fortunate tutor that Dante stooped from his altitude. This is borne out with more than a semblance of probability by the capo chino rtenea of 11. 44-5. In fact, the la mano conten- tion seems to me to be utterly at variance with both the letter and spirit of the entire oanto, and I have always regarded the words as an interpolation, due either to a wanton meddling or a lamentable misreading of the original autograph, which, after the manner of sheep, subsequent copyists have unreflect- ingly perpetuated. J. B. McGovERN. J3t. Stephen's Rectory, C.-on-M., Manchester.

THE 'FAITHFUL ADMONITION' OF MAY, 1554.

AT the time when the people of England were noting with deep discontent the arrange- ments for the ill-omened marriage of Queen Mary to Philip of Spain there was printed a small book dealing with the religious and political difficulties and problems of the 'time. The aim of this volume is explained <by its very full title-page and significant colophon, which are here transcribed from the copy in the John Rylands Library at Manchester :

"A faythfull admonycion of a certen trewe ipastor and prophete, sent vnto the germanes at such tyme as certen great princes went abowt to bring in aliens in to germany, ajvd to restore the papacy, the kyngdom of Antychrist, &c. Now translated into Ingglyssh for a lyke admonycion unto all trewe Ingglyssh hartes, whereby thei may lerne and knowe how to consyder and receiue the procedings of the Inglyssh magistrates and Bisshops. With a preface of M. Philip Melancthon. [Colo- phon:] Imprynted at Grenewych by Conrade Freeman in the month of May, 1554. With the most gracious license and priuilege of godallmighty, Kyng of heauen and erth. '

Sigs. in 8, A to K iii.

English bibliographers have been content to regard this >work as anonymous, but "a

certain true pastor and prophet '' is not difficult to identify. The book is a trans- lation from the great German Reformer :

" Warnunge D. Martini Luther an seine lieben Deudschen, vor etlichen Jaren geschrieben auf diesen r fall, so die feinde Christlicher Warheit diese Kirchen und Land, darinne reine Lehr des Evangelii greprediget wird, niit Krieg uberziehen und zerstoren wolten. Mit einer vorrede Philippi Melancthon. Witteberg. Gedruckt durch Hans Lufft, 1546," 4to.

Melancthon's preface appears in the great edition of his works edited by Bretschneider (Halis Saxonum, 1839, t. vi. p. 190). Luther's ' Warnung ' was printed by Hans Luf t in 1531, but the edition of 1546 is the first containing the preface of Melancthon, which is dated 10 July of that year. Bibliographical par- ticulars of these early editions of the German text are given in the ' Bibliotheca Linde- siana' (No. vii.).

On A ii. begins, " The preface of the trans- lator. Eusebius Pamphilus, the translator of this folowing treatyse, unto the Christen reader." After some hard words to the Romanists the writer says :

"Iff such warnings as haue proceeded of the like spirite as this present aduertisement was writton, had bene regarded in time, parauenture god wold haue spared vs our late Josias, Noble King Edward of famos memory, a litle longar. Ingland, Ing- land, that thy shines, vnthankfulnes and securite were such that thei prouoked god to take fro' the such a prince thorow whom thou migh test so quietly and religiosly haue bene gouerned, and to send the such now as goo abowt to bring the in thraldom and subieccion vnto alienes and to conquer the with tyranny and seduce the with fals relygyon."

He goes on to say that the nobles had made a mock and a jest of the preachers who had reproved them for their enormities :

"Thei thought parauenture that it was inough for them to pretend gods trewe religion how little so euer thei framed their lyues thereaffter."

The Papists, he says, fill all the pulpits. Those who had given warning were true prophets, and therefore this "further warn- ing" should be needed, lest they have a sharper penance :

" This shuld my lordes and the nobles doo, whereby the trewe feare of god might appeare to be in their hartes, and not to fall fro' conte'pt of gods holy word to the vtter renowncyng and denyeng of it, and to seme to feare more a weake creature (As Peter did the gyrle) tha' the mighty god which hath the hartes of all creatures in his ha'des."

He is profuse of abusive words against the adherents of the Roman Church, and strikes the patriotic note that in the end hindered all Mary's projects. The mass being restored, " now," he says,