Page:Notes and Queries - Series 1 - Volume 1.djvu/94

84

NOTES AND QUERIES.

[No. 6. Originalia. [Under this head are included the works of the Fathers, and medieval writers.]

Historie gencium.

Summe doctorum. Scriptores super sententias. quodlibet. et questiones.

Tabulæ. [This division contains Indexes to various authors, the Scriptures, canon law, &c.]

Logical ia et philosophia cum scriptis et commentis.

Prophecie et supersticiosa.

Astronomia et Astrologia.

Instrumenta astrologica magistri Johannis Erghome [who appears to have been a great benefactor to the Library].

Libri divini officii magistri Johannis Erghome.

Jura civilia.

Jura canonica et leges humane magistri Johannis Erghome.

Auctores et philosophi extranei. [Under this head occurs the following entry "Liber hebraice script us."]

Gram̃atica.

Rethorica. [Two leaves of the MS. appear to have been cut out here. ]

Medicina.

Hystorie et Cronice.

Sermones et materie sermonum.

Summe morales doctorum et sermones.

Arithmetica, Musica, Geometria, Perspectiva, magistri Johannis Erghome.

Each volume is identified, according to the usual practice, by the words with which its second folio begins: and letters of the alphabet are added, probably to indicate its place on the shelves of the Library. As a specimen, I shall give the division headed "Biblie":

A. Biblia. incipit in 2°. fo. Samuel in heli

B. Biblia. incipit in 2°. fo. Zechieli qui populo. in duobus voluminibus.

C. Biblia. inc$t$. in 2°. fo. mea et in cr$a$ne

D. Biblia. inc$t$. in 2°. fo. ego disperdam.

¶ Libri magistri Johannis Erghome Biblia. 2°. ''fol. ravit quosdam.'' Interpretationes

A

''E. Biblia incomplet. diversarum scripturarum. quondam fratris R. Possal.'' 2°. ''fo. me occidet me etc.''

A. Incipit in 2°. folio, secunda die

B. inci$t$. in 2°. fo. emperio sane formatis. ligatus.

C. inci$t$ in 2° fo. et celumque celi.

The words printed in Italics are added by a more recent hand. Under the head of "Hystorie Scolastice" are doubtless intended the copies which the Library possessed of the celebrated Historia Scholastica, or abridgment of Scripture history by Peter Comestor.

From the foregoing specimen, I think your readers will agree with me that a Catalogue of such antiquity and interest is well worthy of publication.

But we have another ancient Catalogue of a monastic library equally curious, and even more important, from its magnitude, and the numerous works it contains on English history, early romances, &c. I remain, &c.

I am about to supply a deficiency in my last volume of Extracts from the Registers of the Stationers' Company (printed for the Shakespeare Society, 1849), and thereby set an example that I hope will be followed, in order that various works, regarding which I could give no, or only incomplete, information, may be duly illustrated. It is impossible to expect that any one individual could thoroughly accomplish such an undertaking; and, by means of your excellent periodical, it will be easy for literary men, who possess scarce or unique books, mentioned in the Registers and in my quotations from them, to furnish such brief descriptions as will be highly curious and very useful.

A tract of this description has just fallen in my way, and it relates to the subsequent entry on p. 97 of vol. ii. of my Extracts: the date is 22nd September, 1579.

"H. Denham. Lycensed unto him, &c A Paradox, provinge by reason and example that baldnes is much better than bushie heare - - - vj$d$"

When I wrote the comment on this registration I was only acquainted with the clever MS. ballad in Defence of a Bald Head, which I quoted; but I hardly supposed it to be the production intended. It turns out that it was not, for I have that production now before me. My belief is that it is entirely unique; and the only reason for a contrary opinion, that I am acquainted with, is that there is an incorrect mention of it in Warton, H. E. P. iv. 229.; but there is not a hint of its existence in Ritson, although it ought to have found a place in his Bibliographia Poetica; neither do I find it noticed in later authorities; if it be, they have escaped my researches. You will not blame me, then, for indulging my usual wish to quote the title-page at length, which exactly agrees with the terms of the entry in the books of the Stationers' Company. It runs literatum thus:—

"A Paradoxe, proving by reason and example, that baldnesse is much better than bushie haire, &c. Written by that excellent philosopher Synesius, Bishop of Thebes, or (as some say) Cyren. A prettie pamphlet to pervse, and replenished with recreation—Englished