43 



fictitious name above-mentioned.* His contemporary 

 Naudoeus — though declaring his ignorance as to who the 

 author might be — classes it in point of excellence with the 

 two celebrated pieces — the " Utopia " of More and the 

 " Civitas Solis" of Campanella. Half a century later, 

 Bayle mentions that the compiler of the Catalogue of the 

 Oxford Libraries attributes it to Bishop Hall. Of the 

 authorship there is now no doubt. It is a keen satire on 

 the prevailing vices and follies of the time — ingeniously 

 assigning them to the newly discovered countries in the 

 southern hemisphere, whose names are pretty intelligibly 

 adapted by Anagram, &c. to the existing states of Europe. 

 Nor do the fables and blunders of the geographers and 

 chroniclers escape his lash. The whole work abounds in 

 learned allusions. The Latinity and style are excellent, and 

 the manners and characters are drawn in strong and lively 

 colouring, touched with masterly tracings of genuine 

 humour. 



Pratt, in the preface to Ins edition of our author's works, 

 speaks " of a singular and humorous version of this piece 

 " by one John Healy, a copy of which is now very rarely to 

 " be met with — but he found the translator so often dege- 

 " nerating into ribaldry, and the original to require so much 

 " delicacy and elucidation, that he abandoned the design of 

 " translating it ; not without hopes that some person of 

 " leisure and ability may be induced to give this fine piece of 

 " irony a suitable English dress." 



* William Knight's publication of his friend's work must have taken place 

 not many years after 1C05, in which year Hall accompanied Sir Edmund 

 Bacon to the Continent. In the sale of Sir Mark M. Sykes's library, a copy 

 occurs, said to be printed at Hanover in 1607. This and the Frankfort 

 edition, without date, but with the printer's name of Hoeredes Ascanii de 

 Rinialme, and a figure of Mercury on the title-page, may be one and the 

 same impression, but with different title-pages. Here, then, we appear to 

 have the first impression. The latest and only other one (excepting that 

 which Mr. Pratt has given in his general collection of Hall's works), was 

 printed in a very inaccurate manner at Utrecht, in 1043, together with 

 Bacon's Nova Atlantis, and the Civitas. Solis of Campanella. A German 

 version appeared at Li'ipsig in 1613. 



