33 



the person of a French lady, the Damoiselle Georgette de 

 Montenay, who published, at Zurich, a.d. 1584, her Bmblem.es 

 Chretiennes, written in French verse. In the dedication of 

 them to Jeanne d' Albret, titular Queen of Navarre, she de- 

 clares her belief that they were the first Christian Emblems 

 that the world had seen. Although her self-complacency is 

 here too much manifested, it cannot be denied that her verses 

 breathe a pure and pious spirit, and assuredly may claim the 

 merit of having given to all who could read the French tongue 

 those pleasant or moral sentiments, which had been heretofore 

 communicated to the learned alone in a dead language. The 

 Engravings, which are curious and original, are executed upon 

 copper. The ninety-fourth Emblem runs as follows : — 



(" Representation — a Child elevating its heart to Heaven — the gauds of the world 

 lying neglected on the ground.) 

 " ' Cest innocent mettant son coeur a Oieu, 

 N'a mil sonci de toute autre richesse, 

 En luy aussi presomption n'a lieu ; 

 Car hatit au ciel est toute sa liesse 

 Plusieurs icy errent par leur rudesse, 

 Prenant les sots pour les poures d' esprit. 

 Sage est celuy qui renonce et qui laisse, 

 Le mode et soy, pour estre riche en Christ.' 



Embl. 83. 



"It was only towards the close of the sixteenth century 

 that any English writers turned their attention to the class of 

 Composition now under review. In the year 1586, Geoffrey 

 Whitney, a native of Namptwich in Cheshire, published at 

 Leyden (where he was then residing) his ' Choice of Emblems,' 

 printed by Christopher Plantyn, and probably the only English 

 book which owes its existence to the types of that celebrated 

 printer. Its merit is derived more from its being the first 

 publication of a Book of Emblems which had appeared in our 

 language, than from the excellence of the verses, which are 

 for the most part translations from the Latin authors whose 

 works we have been considering. Most of the engravings 



