ZOOLOGY IN TIME OF SHAKESPEARE 225 



Middle Ages was an encyclopaedia entitled " Liber 

 de Proprietatibus Rerum," compiled by the 

 English Franciscan, Bartholomew, often called 

 Bartholomaeus Anglicus, who probably wrote 

 sometime about 1250, certainly before 1267, 

 and in all probability before 1260. Both before 

 and after the invention of printing this work had 

 a wide circulation. The " Liber " was translated 

 into French by the order of Charles V., into 

 Spanish in 1372, then into Dutch, and in 1397 

 into English. It was also the first book printed 

 on paper which had been made in England. This 

 book is believed to have been the source of much 

 of Shakespeare's knowledge of natural history. 

 In 1582 the Rev. Stephen Bateman, D.D., domes- 

 tic chaplain to Bishop Parker, re-issued the Eng- 

 lish translation made by John of Trevisa which 

 had been printed in 1494 by Wynkyn de Worde 

 at Westminster. The book was entitled : 



" Batman uppon Bartholome, His Booke De 

 Proprietatibus Rerum, Newly corrected, enlarged, 

 and amended, with such Additions as are requisite, 

 unto every severall Booke. Taken foorth of the 

 most approved Authors, the like heretofore not 

 translated in English. Profitable for all Estates, 



