1806.) 
on Britifh Topography, (vol. ii, p. 20,) 
publifhed a grant from Richard de Patton 
to Bromholm Abbey, of twelve-pence a- 
‘year rent-charge on his efaies, to keep 
their books in repair,—ad emendacionem 
librorum. 
Eleanor de Bohun, Duchefs of Glou- 
cefter, in 1399, left her whole library in 
legacies. To her fon Humphrey fhe 
gave, **Un Crontke de Fraunce, (with 
filver claips, enameled with the armorial 
bearings of the Duke de Burgoign;) 
“© Un Livre de Giles de Regimine Princi- 
pum ;°° ‘' Un Livre de Vices & Vertues ;”’ 
‘Un Rimeie del’ Hitoire de Chivaler a 
Cigne ;°’ anda family Pfalter, richly il- 
luminated with clafps of gold, enameled 
with white {wans, and the arms of Bo- 
hun. Toher diughter Ann, an illumin- 
ated copy, in French, of the ‘* Legenda 
Aurea.” And to, her daughter Joan, a 
Pfaiter, Primer, and Book of Devotions ; 
a French Bible, in two volumes; ‘* Un 
Livre de Decretales, en Francois ;°’ ** Un 
Livre de Meiftre Hiftoires;’’ another, 
6 De Vitis Patrum ;”’ ** The Paftorals of 
St. Gregory ;” and a plain Pfalter. (See 
the Royal and Noble Wills.) 
Lore Clifferd, by his will, dated Sep- 
temb-r the 17-h, 1404, bequeathed * to 
Sire Phylype !a Vache, Knight, my 
Maffe-bocke and my Porhoos ; and my 
Book of Tribulation to my daughter, 
his wife.” 
4. careful examination of fome of our | 
old wills would no doubt furnifh infances 
in fill greater variety, But enough has 
been faid to eftablifh the prevalence of pri- 
vate libraries, at a period when literature 
is ufually thought to have been encouraged 
{carcely aoy where but in the monafteries. 
Nor does it appear that learning was 
neglected in the fifter-kingdom at the fame 
period. The lib-ary of G-rald Fitz-Ge- 
ralde, Earl of Kildare, in 1531, confilt- 
ed of a hundred and fix volumes, in La- 
tin, French, and Englifth ; among which 
the following were the moft curious : 
Virgilius, cum Gloffa. 
Virgilius, cum Quatuor Commentis. 
Juvenalis, cum Gloffa. 
Beceius de Coniolacione Philofephiz. 
Therencius. 
Comentaria Sefaris. 
Vecefius. 
Vthopia Mort. 
Laurencius Valla. 
Froflart, iiij volamis. | 
Launcelott du Lak. 
Ogier le Danots. 
Le Triumphe des Dames. 
ez Triumphis de Peirarke. 
Zhe Antiquary. 
Le Romant de la Roife. 
Jozaphus de la Bataile Judiz. 
Le ij et iij Decade de Titus Livius. 
Bockas. 
Arthur. 
The Enaydos. 
Charlemayn. 
The Shepherdis Calendar. 
The Kyng of England his Anfwere to 
Lutrer ; and 
Sir Thomas Moore’s Booke agayns the 
new Opinions that hold agayns Pilgrem- 
age. 
"The infertion of thefe additional notices 
in fome future Number of your paver will 
oblige ———— A, M. 
To the Antiquary. 
SIR, 
SO much has been already written on 
the early hiftory of printing, that no dif- 
covery of any great importance which 
-may fixthe epoch of it more precifely, 
can now he expeéted. In the courfe of 
my reading, however, and examination, 
a few obfervations have occurred, which 
may probably have novelty to fome.— 
They are here inclofed ; and I fhail leave 
the neglect of them, or their prefervation 
in the Antiquary, to your judgment. 
The earlieft printers, it appears, were 
men of learning ; and a volume on the 
lives of learned printers anterior to the 
fixteenth century would even at this day 
have an intereft with the world. Inthe 
promotion of the art, the clergy and reli- 
gious were at firft particularly aétive, not 
only in Italy but England, and even exer- 
cifed it in common asa profelfion. The 
following are remackable inftances. 
<¢ Ammianus Marcellinus. Rom. per 
Georg. Sach{el de Riechenhal, & Barthol. 
Golfch de Hohenbart, Ciericos. 1474.” 
fol. Purchafzd for the Royal Library, at 
Dr. Afkew’s fale, for 23]. 
«© Latantius. Inftitutiones, &c. in vee 
nerabili Monafterio Sublacenfi. 1465.” fol. 
“¢ Poeticus Vocabularius. Colon. apud 
Preedicatores.’’ fine anno. gto. 
<¢ Boetius de Confolaticne Philofophie, 
or B ke of Comfore, tranflated into En- ‘ 
glefle Tonge, emvrented in the exempt 
Monattery of Taveitoke in Denfhyre, by 
me Dan Thomas Rychard, Monk of the 
fayd Monattery. 1525.’ 4to. 
Among the early fpecimens of Greek 
typography, the following are the princi- 
palin the Uncial or large letters. 
The Greek Anthology, editio Piin- 
ceps, 1494. Purchefed at Dr. Atfkew’s 
fale, by Dr.. Hunter, for 281. 78. 
The Argonautics of Apolionius Rho- 
dius. 1496. 
Ddz The 
