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Geffrey, to whom Wood seems by mistake to have attributed this collection, adding, "though I have been many years seeking after, yet I cannot get a sight of it."

Of Posteritie.

Daughter of Time, sincere Posteritie,

Alwayes new borne, yet no man knowes thy birth,
The arbitresse of pure Sinceritie,

Yet, changeable, (like Proteus) or the earth,
Sometime in plenty, sometime ioynd with dearth.

Alwayes to come, yet alwayes present heere,
Whom all runne after, none come after neere.
Vnpartiall Iudge of all saue present state,
Truth's Idioma of the things are past,
But still pursuing present things with hate,
And more iniurious at the first then last,
Preseruing others, while thine owne do want.
True treasurer of all antiquitie,

Whom all desire, yet neuer one could see. 2. ASKE (James).-Elizabetha Triumphans. Conteyning the Damned practizes, that the diuelish Popes of Rome haue used euer sithence her Highnesse first comming to the Croune, by mouing her wicked and traiterous subiects to Rebellion and conspiracies, thereby to bereave her Maiestie both of her lawfull seate, and happy life. With a declaration of the manner how her excellency was entertained by her Souldyers into her Campe Royall at Tilbery in Essex: and of the ouerthrow had against the Spanish Fleete: briefly, truly, and effectually set forth. Declared and handled by I. A. (James Aske).—Black Letter.—At London, printed by Thomas Orwin, 1588.

Quarto, pp. 44.

£15.

This volume has a dedication "To the Right Worshipfull indued with all singularitie Iulius Cæsar, Doctor of the Ciuill Law, chiefe Iudge of her Highnesse honorable Court of the Admiraltie,” &c.

3. ADAM BEL, Clym of the Cloughe, and Wyllyam of Cloudesle.-Black Letter.-First four pages in manuscript.-HALF-BOUND, MOROCCO.-No date or printer's name.

Quarto, pp. 18.

£3.

"This very ancient, curious, and popular performance was apparently composed for the purpose of being sung in public, to the harp.-As there is no other memorial of these celebrated archers than this legend, to which all the passages cited, from different authors, by Bishop Percy, are evident allusions, any inquiry as to the time or reality of their existence must be little else than the sport of imagination." Ritson's Ancient Popular Poetry. 4. ASHMOLE (Elias).-Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum. Containing severall Poeticall Pieces of our Famous English Philosophers, who have written the Hermetique Mysteries in their owne Ancient Language. Faithfully collected into one Volume, with Annotations thereon by Elias Ashmole, Esq.-London, printed by J. Grismond, 1652. Quarto, pp. 510. £3. 10s.

Amongst the tracts in this singular work, are 1. The Ordinall of Alchimy. Written by Thomas Norton, of Bristoll, (with six curious engravings by Vaughan).-2. The Compound of Alchymie. A most excellent, learned, and worthy worke, written by Sir George Ripley.-3. Pater Sapientæ, (by an anonymous writer.)-4. Hermes's Bird, written originally in Latin, by Raymund Lully, and translated into English verse by Abbot Cremer, of Westminster, with curious engravings.-5. The Tale of the Chanons Yeoman, by Geoffrey Chaucer, with an engraving of his tomb.-6. John Lydgate, Monke of St. Edmundesbury's translation out of Aristotle.-7. John Gower on the Philosopher's Stone.

For a minute account of this volume, and the collector of it, see Dr. Kippis's Biographia Britannica, vol. i. p. 298.

5. ANNESON (James).-Carolanna, that is to say, a Poeme in Honour of our King, Charles-James, Queen Anne, and Prince Charles: But principally in honour of the immortall memory of our late noble and good Queene of Albion and Vnion, herein celebrated vnder the names of Dianna and Cimbrina, by allusion vnto her Princely name and Nation, by Iames Anneson.-Imprinted at London, by Edw. Allde (1614.)

Quarto, pp. 48. .

£5.

6. ARWAKER (Edmund).-Truth in Fiction: or Morality in Masquerade. A Collection of Two hundred twenty five Select Fables of Æsop, and

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This poem is written in stanzas of six lines, and licensed by
Dr. Thomas Wykes, who says, in his Latin Imprimatur, that he

has read this Historical Poem, and judges it worthy of being made public. There are two prefatory addresses to the author, one from his pupil Edward Sherburne, afterwards Sir Edward, clerk of the ordnance, in which he tells "his ingenious Friend," that his words yield him (Henry) more honour than did his own weapons. The second, by his friend Edward Prideaux, is as follows:

To my

deare Friend Mr. Charles Aleyn.

When Fame had sayd, thy Poem should come out

Without a Dedication; some did doubt

If fame in that had told the truth, but I,

Who knew her false, boldly gave fame the lye,
For I was certaine that this booke by thee,

Was Dedicated to Eternity.

Thy true lover, Ed. Prideaux.

11. AN AUNSWERE to the Proclamation of the Rebels in the North.-Black Letter.-MOROCco.-Imprinted at London by Willyam Seres, 1569.

Octavo, pp. 22.

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In the year 1569 a rebellion broke out in the north of Eng land, headed by the Earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland, of which an account is given in "Camden's History of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth," folio edit. 1635, p. 113. The original document issued by the two Earls, to which this little volume is a metrical reply, is preserved in "Lord Burghley's State Papers," edited by Haynes, folio, 1740, p. 564.

12. ANCIENT SCOTTISH POEMS. Published from the MS. of George Bannatyne, MDLXVIII.-MOROCCO. -Edinburgh, 1770.

Duodecimo, pp. 344.. £1. 11s. 6d.

This interesting volume of early Scottish poetry was edited by Lord Hales, who, by the addition of many valuable notes and a glossary, has considerably enhanced the excellence of the collection. William Dunbar's productions consist of thirty: Warton observes that "the imagination of this poet is not less suited to satirical than to sublime allegory: and he is the first who has appeared with any degree of spirit in this way of writing since Pierce Plowman." The other poems in this volume are by Robert Henryson, Alexander Scott, Patrick Johnstoun, John Blyth, &c.

13. ANCIENT and MODERN SCOTTISH SONGS, Heroic Ballads, etc. collected by David Herd.-2 Vol. -CALF EXTRA.-Edinburgh, 1776.

Duodecimo, pp. 610.

£1. 10s.

14. ANCIENT SCOTTISH POEMS; the GaberlunzieMan, and Christ's Kirk on the Green. With Notes and Observations by John Callandar, Esq. of Craigforth.-CALF EXTRA.-Edinburgh, 1782. Octavo, pp. 196.

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18s.

"It must not be forgotten that James (the fifth) possessed eminent abilities, and a love of literature: nor is it beside our present purpose to observe, that he was the author of the celebrated ballad called Christ's Kirk on the Green."-Warton.

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ARCLAY (Alexander).-This present Boke named the Shyp of folys of the worlde was translated i the College of saynt mary Otery in the counte of Deuonshyre: out of Laten, Frenche, and Doche into Englyshe tonge by Alexander Barclay Preste and at that tyme Chaplen in the sayde College. Black Letter.-A BEAUTIFUL COPY IN MOROCCO, JOINTS, &c.-Imprentyd in the Cyte of London in Fletestre at the signe of Saynt George. By Rycharde Pynson to hys Coste and charge, 1509.

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Folio, pp. 556.

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"There are few books more interesting to the collector than editions of the present work, of which Pynson's has the distinguished honour of being the parent impression in our own country:"-vide Dibdin's edition of Ames, Vol. 2, p. 431, where will be found a copious description of this rare volume, with specimens of the curious engravings on wood.

16.

The Ship of Fooles, wherein is shewed the folly of all States, with

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