vi PREFACE. 
contents, but for their style. Here and there illustrative 
notes have been added. 
The text of Shakespeare referred to is that of the 
“Globe” edition. 
The books and editions most frequently quoted are: 
Bartholomew. “Liber de proprietatibus rerum editus a 
fratre Bartholomeo anglico ordinis fratrum minorum. Im- 
pressus Argentine Anno domini MCCCCLXXXV.  Finitus 
in die Sancti Valentini.” 
Bartholomew (Berthelet). ‘ Bartholomeus de Proprietatibus 
Rerum.” [Translated into English by J. Trevisa.] “In 
aedibus T. Bertheletti, Lond. 1535.” So runs the de- 
scription in the British Museum catalogue, but this version 
does not follow Trevisa’s translation accurately ; on the 
contrary, it quotes Trevisa for some deviations from, and 
additions to, Bartholomew’s text. 
Batman. “Batman upon Bartholome, his Booke ‘ De 
Proprietatibus Rerum’” [in the translation by J. Trevisa]. 
““Newly corrected, enlarged and amended; with such Ad- 
ditions as are requisite vnto euery seuerall Booke. Taken 
foorth of the most approued Authors, the like heretofore 
not translated in English,” etc. T. East, Lond. 1582. 
Probably Shakespeare used not Batman’s version, but the 
Berthelet edition, which, being older, would probably be 
cheaper in his days. All of Batman’s “Additions” that 
are of any interest are quoted in these pages, but they 
are few and generally unimportant. His emendations con- 
sist mostly in the substitution for an archaic word of a 
more modern and less interesting one. 
There can be no doubt that Friar Bartholomew's book 
was the standard authoriggeon Natural History in Shake- 
Speare’s youth ; indeed, it was the only popular authority. 
It is true that there were some few books on Natural 
