16 CHARLES BALGUY, M.D. 
The latter numbered amongst its members Pope, Gay, the two 
Wesleys, and Sir Isaac Newton, and its transactions show that it 
did better and more lasting work than the giving of popular 
lectures. It was, in fact, a learned society.* 
In 1741, when he was 33 years old, he published a translation 
of The Decameron. The volume is a closely and well printed octavo 
of 591 pages. Its title page is The | Decameron, | or | Ten 
Days Entertainment | of | Boccace | Translated from the Italian | 
London : | Printed for R. Dodsley at Tully’s Head in Pall Mall | 
MDCCXLI. 
It is dedicated “‘ to Backe Thornhill, Esq.,”+ and was published 
anonymously. In his preface, speaking of Zhe Decameron, the 
translator says—‘‘ This hath been reprinted an infinite number of 
times, and translated into diverse languages. Two translations 
there are in French that have come to my knowledge, and the 
same number in our own language, if they may be stiled so, for 
such liberties are taken everywhere in altering everything accord- 
ing to the people’s own taste and fancy, that a great part of both 
bears very little resemblance to the original.” The translations 
to which he probably refers are that of William Paynter, who, in 
1570, published a translation of sixty of Boccaccio’s novels under 
the title of Zhe Palace of Pleasure, and Jaggard’s folio of 1625. 
Of the former of these it is well known that Shakespeare made 
great use. : 
We have it on the authority of Burton, the author of Z%e 
Anatomy of Melancholy, that in his day the novels of Boccaccio 
were commonly related at English firesides. We may well 
imagine that in the hill country of Derbyshire, where news was 
scarce and travellers were few, old stories and traditions would be 
often repeated. Such a man as Charles Balguy, with his love of 
*See Nichol’s Literary Anecdotes, VI., pp. 4, 74, 122, and Hzstory of the 
Spalding Society (Nichol’s), 1784. 
+ Bache Thornhill, of Stanton. He married (1) Elizabeth, dau. of Thomas 
Coke, of Melbourne, knight of the shire, and Vice-Chamberlain to George L., 
and (2) in 1742, Margaret, dau. of Anthony Eyre, of Rampton and Grove, co. 
Notts. She was descended from the Eyres of Newbold, co. Derby. “It will 
have been noticed that Charles Balguy’s mother was a Miss Eyre of Newbold. 
