LONDON, SATURDAY, JULY 4, 1863. CONTENTS. No. 79. prince's love of literature. The wonderful rarity of books issuing from the press of Walter Chepman and his partner Andro Millar can only be Inedited Letter, 3 Archbishop Harsnet and Bishop explained by the subsequent burning of Edin NOTES: -Early Scottish Printers, 1-Sir Walter Ralegh: MINOR NOTES: - Miss Vane: Disappointed Love - Burn ing Alive - Swift: "Tale of a Tub" - Anniversary of Drumclog-Fulke Greville, Esq., and Frances Wife, 4. Clock-Country Residence - Cromwell Memorial-The Pizarro's Coat of Arms - The Rising in the North - QUERIES WITH ANSWERS: - Who was Sedechias? - Biblical Queries: Proverbs xxvi. 8- Fly-Leaf Scribblings Passage in Vallancey - Royal Arms of Spain - Year-Book - Anonymous - Thomas Earl of Cleveland -Waterloo Medals, 9. REPLIES:-The Knights Hospitallers, &c., 11-Source of the Nile, 13-Sermons upon Inoculation, 16. - French Legend, 14-The Looking Glass, 15-Bainbridge, Ib. Tottenham, M.P. - Goldsmith Club-Time - William Marshall- Sheriffs of Cornwall-Turning the Cat in the Pan - Ploughs in Churches - Gentilhomme: Nobilis - Dentition in Old Age-"Crush a Cup:" "Crack a Bottle" Chaucer and his Editor, Thynne - The Danish Invaders Sir Charles Calthrope - Greek and Roman Games - Epitaph in Lavenham Churchyard - Cold in June-Proverbial Query - "The Council of Ten," 17. "Provost, baillies, counsale, and committee of our burgh of Edinburgh, we greit you weill; forsamekill as we of before be oure utheris letteres under seal and signete exemit oure lovit, oratoure and wedo, Agnes Cokburne, the relict of unquhile Walter Chepman, burges of oure said burgh, of all payingis of onie taxis, stents, dewties, or otheris contributione within the samyn during hir liftime, as oure saidis letteris mair fullelie preportis, &c.: nor the leise * as we ar informit ze nou askis and crauis fra hir ane certain soume of money in name of taxt to the biging of oure park,† his majesty of new exemis hir fra ony taxis, stentis, dewties, or contributiounis within our said burgh, or any taxt to the bigeing of oure said park, in tyme to cum." The date is the 4th of February, in the twentyeighth year of his majesty's reign. James died upon the 15th December, 1542, having reigned nine-and-twenty years. This grant of exemption to the widow of Chepman is an interesting instance of this accomplished burgh by the English, and the great fire that occurred in 1700; and which consumed that portion of the city which, in all probability, was the emporium of books, viz. the Parliament Square. The collection of tracts in the Library of the Faculty of Advocates, printed by Chepman and Millar, is unique. A fac-simile copy was taken some years since; and what is certainly odd enough, the whole impression was nearly consumed by a fire which broke out in the workshop of Mr. Andrew Thomson, an eminent Edinburgh bookbinder, with whom the copies had been deposited to be put in boards. Several were totally destroyed; but the greater portion was saved, burnt in the margin. By the process of inlaying, a sufficient number were completed to satisfy the demands of the few individuals who take an interest in such matters. Four copies alone, which had not been in Mr. Thomson's shop, were uninjured. Copies are now exceedingly rare, and usually bring, when occurring for sale, from four to five guineas. The Breviary of Aberdeen is the only other book, printed by Chepman and Millar, now known to exist. Two perfect copies have been preserved: one in the Faculty, and the other in the University Library of Edinburgh. It is in two volumes, very beautifully printed. A single volume has, it is understood, turned up in the North. There is a reprint of this valuable work, of which copies were taken on Bannatyne Club paper. Mr. David Laing, librarian of the Writers to the Signet-whose knowledge in all matters relative to the literature of his native county is so well known-subsequently furnished an Introduction. The early Scotish printers have been very unfortunate in the preservation of specimens of their press: indeed, prior to 1600, books printed in St. Andrew's, or Edinburgh, were rarissimi. Even years after that date, they are almost equally rare. Thus, of Andro Hart's edition of The Bruce, printed in 1616, one perfect copy alone is known-that in the Bodleian being defective. The one mentioned as quite perfect was brought to light upon the dispersion of the magnificent library which had been accumulated from time to time by the ancient family of Anstruther of Anstruther; and carefully preserved at Elie House, in Fifeshire. For the condition, as well as rarity, this collection was unrivalled-at least, in Scotland. This supposed unique edition was purchased by me, and is referred to by Mr. C. Innes in the edition of The Bruce, printed under his superintendence for the use of the Members of the Spalding Club. Another Scotish poem, noticed in Herbert's Ingreach at Sant Androis by Robert Lek. The Liseumery was immediately communicated the lace Dr. Irving, the learned librarian of The Fary of Advocates, who had been recently weet are. The coal-hole, as it may prometur be permed, was thereupon searched, and some your articles turned up; but none of exEnyarity. The volume was immediately was each article bound separately in el norom by Mr. Abraham Thomson-the besonder at that time in Scotland; and stocarelly preserved in the Faculty axer prevent the chance of the disappeace of Bar Collzear again, a reprint was mate weer the editorial care of David Laing, fems a portion of that valuable collec tou if early Seogen poetry which that gentleman fare at the wind and to which the reader is T L A great Day of the productions of our Scotch event entirely disappeared. Thus, Robert Saya - Litrar. Burgess of Edinburgh," war bed in the 1st of May, 1602), from his will, what has been prased in the Bannatyne Miscelis proved to have published Pumerous works. Yes no single volume of his Txistunt within these few years, What a woume was discovered, consisting of a Pan Cards works. Amongst these were Hur Boks the Epistles, wanting the title, but There's device at the end: an odd one suve enough being a coarse delineation of a porve a cel pe a salmon, in a river (perhaps Fred a balling upon a hill in the hard. The imprint is: "Edenburgi apud Stercom Sarvanco Do. 1583," 12mo. The Mer Nees were the treatise "De officiis," yonel by Jae Kyngstonus, 1574;" and & separate aprendix of notes by Erasmus, Me At ze period of Smyth's demise, his will insatte was in his stock 1275 copies of The Select Eustis of Cicero;" and having bean boot primer and publisher, he must have sond zumerous cepées before his demise. Neverthevess bar one cow and that defective of the title, bas as yet been frund This has undoubtedly s being a school-book; and meetaswid the state that befalls productions class Bat Smyth was not merely the pubisher of, schooi-books: for we find, in the emersone dis stock, 232 "Gray Steillis," not one of what is now supposed to be in exIndeed, the discovery of a more modern euron the poem was supposed to have What has become of his 1034 "Dundee Tip Psalms is 743 "Fabilis of Isope," and various acher was! They seem to have perished enprey: and his device exists only, so far as is at 1 |