ART. IX. The History of Philip de Comminės, Knight, Lord of Argenton. The Fourth Edition corrected, with Annotations. London. Printed for Samuel Mearne, John Martyn, and Henry Herringman, and are to be sold in Little Britain, St. Paul's Churchyard, and the New Exchange. Fol. 1674. pp. 348.

Commines is an historian very well known and a good companion to Froissart. He was born at Commines in Flanders, 1445, and died at his house of Argenton, in Poictou, 17 Oct. 1509, æt. 64. He was first in the service of Charles, Duke of Burgundy, and afterwards of Lewis XI. of France.

The translator was Thomas Danett, who first published his work in 1596, printed by Arnold Hatfield, for John Norton. Fol.* and dedicated it to Lord Treasurer Burghley.

Danett also published A Continuation of the Historie of France, from the death of Charles the Eight, where Comines endeth, till the death of Henry the Second. Collected by Tho. Danett, Gent. London. Printed by Tho. East for Thomas Chard. Dedicated to Lord Buckhurst, Lord High Treasurer of England. 1600. 4to. pp. 148. †

The only editions of Commines, mentioned by De Bure, are those of 1648, par Denys Sauvage, Leyde, Elzevier, in 12mo. a beautiful little edition. Again, Paris, Impr. Royale, 1649, in fol. Again, Par M.

* Ames, III. 1213.

+ Ib. II, 1197.

Abbe

c 3

Abbe Lenglet Du Fresnoy. Paris, 1747. 4 vol. in 410.*

The following editions of Commines are taken from the Bibl Harl.

66

Cronique & Hist. faicte & composee, par Phelippe de Comines contenant les Choses advenues, durant le Regne du Roy Lovys XI. tant en France, Bourgoyn, Flandres, Arthois, Angleterre, que Espaigne et Lieux ci convoisins, en Lettres Gothique, 1525. Fol."

"La Meme reveus & corrigez par Dennis Sauvage. Paris, 1552."

"La Meme, reveus & corrigez sur divers Manuscrits & anciennes Impressions; augmentez de plusieurs Traitez, Contracts, Testaments, autres Actes, &de divers Observations, par Godefroy. Paris, de l'Imprimerie Royale, 1649, Fol.”

"Memoires de Phil. de Comines sur les principaux

I take this opportunity of mentio..ing (though out of place) in addition to the Account of the Old Spanish Historians of the New World, in Vol. III. p. 404, that there is a Translation into English of Antonio de Solis, by Tho. Townsend, 1724. Fol. I add the two following titles on the same subject.

"The Decades of the New Worlde, or West India, conteyning the Navigations and Conquestes of the Spanyardes, with the particular description of the most ryche and large landes and ilandes lately founde in the West Ocean, perteyninge to the inheritance of the Kings of Spayne, translated out of Latine by Richarde Eden, 1555, 4to.”

"Ferdinando Georges's History of the Spaniards Proceedings in the Conquests of the Indians, and of their Civil Wars, among themselves, from Columbus's first Discovery to these latter times. 1659."

Eden also translated "The History of Travayle into the West and East Indies, and other countreys, lying either way, towardes the fruitfull and ryche Molucca," &c. fin shed by Richard Willes. Lond. 1577. 4to. He also

translated other works.

Faits et gestes de Louys XI. & Charles VIII. Rouen, 1625, 8vo."

"La Meme, augmentez de plusieurs Traitez, Contracts, Testaments, Actes, & Observations par Godefroy, enrichie de Portraits & augmentee de l'Hist. de Louis XI. connue sous le nom de Chronique Scandaleuse, 4 Tom. 8vo. Bruss. 1706.” "Comina de Rebus Gestis Ludovici XI. & Caroli Burgundiæ Ducis, ex Gallico facti Latini a Joan. Sleidano. Paris apud Wechel. 8vo. 1545." "La Historia famosa di Monsignor di Argenton delle Guerre & Costumi di Ludovico XI. con la Battaglia & Morte del Gran Duca di Borgogna. Venet. 1544. 8vo."

There was also an edition of the original in black letter, 4to. 1525.

The compiler of the catalogue observes, "De Comines, qui morut en 1509, est le plus sense & le plus judicieux Ecrivain de l'histoire de France; il a ete compare, avec Thucydide, & avec meilleur dans l'Antiquite." He adds of the edition by Godefroy, 1649, that it is incomparable for its correctness, beauty, and selection of notes and proofs.*

ART. X. The Holy Bible, published by Archbishop Parker. 1568. Fol.

"This is generally known by the name of the Bishop's Bible, being translated for the greatest part by the Bishops, whose initial letters are added at

the end of their particular portions. As, at the end of the Pentateuch, W. E. Willielmus Excestrensis. The translators are recounted by Strype, in his life of Parker. This edition is so rare, that neither Dr. Burnet, nor Mr. Strype, appear to have seen it. The date is not either in the beginning or end, but is inserted in the Archbishop's arms, and mentioned in the preface. It is adorned with great numbers of beautiful cuts, and printed, as it is observed, "in Vit. Park novis typis magnitudinis usitatæ aut paulo grandioris," with letters somewhat larger than those of the Great Bible. After the Pentateuch is the picture of the Earl of Leicester, and before the Psalms that of Lord Burleigh, as favourers of the work. In this edition, at the end of the Book of Wisdom, are the letters W.C. probably for the Bishop of Chichester. In the second edition, the whole Apocrypha is ascribed to J. N. the Bishop of Norwich, who perhaps revised it afterwards.” From the Catalogus Bibliotheca Harleiana, Vol. I. p. 11, 12.

ART. XI.

The Holy Bible, Black-Letter. 2 vols. Fol. Printed by Barker. 1613.

"This is the translation now used, which was made at the command of King James I. The translators were fifty-four of the most learned then of that time, who were divided into five bodies, of which each was to labour upon a particular part of the Bible, which was thus divided the Pentateuch and the books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, and Kings, to the Deans of Westminster

Westminster and St. Paul's, Doctors Saravia, Clark, Layfield, Leigh, Mess. Stretford, Sussex, Clare, Bedwell. From the Chronicles to Ecclesiastes, to Dr. Richardson, and Mess. Lively, Chadderton, Dillingham, Harrison, Andrews, Spalding, Binge. All the Prophets and Lamentations, to Drs. Harding, Reinolds, Holland, Kilby, Mess. Hereford, Brett, Fareclowe. All the Epistles to the Dean of Chester, Drs. Hutchinson, Spencer, Mess. Fenton, Rabbet, Sanderson, Dakins. The Gospels, Acts, and Apocalypse, to the Deans of Christchurch, Winchester, Worcester, Windsor, Drs. Perin, Ravens, Mess. Savile, Harmer. And the Apocrypha to Drs. Duport, Brauthwait, Ratcliff, Mess. Ward, Downes, Boyse, Warde. They met at Westminster, Oxford, and Cambridge, as it was convenient for each body. The method, in which they proceeded, seems to have been this: several translations of each part were drawn up by the members of that body, to which it was allotted, who then in a joint consultation selected three of the best, or compiled them out of the whole number. Thus, in three years, three translations of the whole were sent to London, then six deputies, two from each place, were appointed, to extract one translation out of the three, which was finished and printed 1611. See Selden's Table Talk."*

From the Catalogus Bibliothecæ Harleianæ, Vol. I. p. 13.

ART.