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for hunting and other sports of the field. Even to so dis- 
tinguished a prelate as the Bishop of Winchester he quotes an 
instance in which Pope Nicholas suspended a Bishop for 
hunting, and adds ‘‘ how much more disgraceful in your 
Lordship’s case, at the advanced age of 80!” He 
chides Reginald, Archdeacon of Salisbury, for employing 
his time with falconry instead of attending to his clerical 
duties. 
So full of interest and so vivacious are these epistles that it 
has been lately suggested, after the lapse of nearly 800 years, 
to translate his works from Latin into English. Having 
copies, I believe, of all he has ever written, I have been asked 
to select at least a few of these letters for translation and 
publication. His other works are, admittedly, of less interest ; 
they comprise short treatises, entitled, ‘““ Opuscula, Sermons, 
and Poems.” 
His abilities as an administrator were considerable; as a 
secretary his powers were marvellous; on special occasions 
he has been known to dictate to three writers, and at the same 
time write important despatches with his own hand. 
Lest it may be thought I am over-estimating the attain- 
ments of our Bath worthy, I venture to submit a few references 
to his works, which I lay before you—an interesting example 
of early printing. 
The beautiful edition, in Gothic letter, was printed by the 
“ Brothers of the Common Life,’’ at a monastery near Brussels, 
“Sine anno et loco.’’ It has since been ascertained that the 
date is 1478. There is no record of a sale of this edition in 
England, and I believe the only other copy extant is in the 
Bodleian, at Oxford. The late owner valued this at fifty 
guineas, but early printed books have vastly increased in 
value since then. In 1519 the epistles were re-published, with 
Sermons, Poems, and short Treatises, entitled ‘‘ Opuscula.”’ 
A third edition was printed in 1609 at Paris, by Joannes 
Basaceus. Jn 1667 an accurate and valuable edition of his 
works was published by De Grousainville, at Paris, in a folio 
volume, containing 188 Letters, 66 Sermons, and 1g Opuscula. 
No other edition appears until 1847, when Giles, of Corpus 
Christi College, Oxford, after having examined fifty MS. 
copies of this author’s works preserved in public libraries in 
France, Belgium, and England, published a complete edition 
of his works, in four volumes, entitled, ‘‘ Petri Blesensis: 
Bathoniensis Archidiaconi Opera Omnia, nunc primum in 
