Subjoined to the copy just described is another work, thus ent.i.tled:
SECRETO SOLO e in arma ben amaistrato Sia qualunqua nole essere inamorato.
Got gebe ir eynen guten seligen mogen.
The preceding, line for line, is printed in a large gothic type: the rest of the work in a small close gothic letter. Both pieces, together, contain sixty-three leaves.
COMMEDIA DE CELESTINA. "_Vendese la presente obra en la ciudad de Anuers_,"
&c. 18mo. _Without Date_. I suspect however that this scarce little volume was _printed_ as well as "_sold_" at Paris.
MILLES ET AMYS. "_A Rouen chez la Veufue de Louys Coste_." 4to. Without Date. The frontispiece has a wood-cut of no very extraordinary beauty, and the whole book exhibits a sort of ballad-style of printing. It is executed in a roman letter, in double columns.
OGIER LE DANOIS. "_On les vend a Lyon_, &c." Folio. At the end is the date of 1525, over the printer"s device of a lion couchant, and a heart and crown upon a shield. It is a small folio, printed in a neat and rather brilliant gothic type, with several wood-cuts.
GALIEN ET JAQUELINE. "_Les n.o.bles prouesses et vaillances de Galien restaure_," &c. 1525, Folio. The preceding is over a large wood-cut of a man on horseback; and this romance is printed by the same printer, in the same place, and, as you observe, in the same year--as is that just before described.
HUON DE BOURDEAUX. Here are four editions of this Romance:--to which I suspect fourscore more might be added. The first is printed at _Paris_ for _Bonfons_, in double columns, black letter, with rude wood-cuts. A fine copy: from the Colbert Collection. The second edition is of the date of 1586: in long lines, roman letter, approaching the ballad-style of printing. The third edition is "_A Troyes, Chez Nicolas Oudot_, &c. 1634."
4to. in double columns, small roman letter. No cuts, but on the recto and reverse of the frontispiece. The fourth edition is also "_A Troyes Chez Pierre Garnier_, 1726," 4to. in double columns, roman letter. A very ballad-like production.
LES QUATRE FILZ AYMON, Two. editions. One. "_a Lyon par Benoist Rigaud_, 1583," 4to. The printing is of the ballad-kind, although there are some spirited wood-cuts, which have been wretchedly pulled. The generality are as bad as the type and paper.
MABRIAN. &c. "_A Troyes, Chez Oudot_, 1625," 4to. A vastly clever wood-cut frontispiece, but wretched paper and printing. From the _Cat. de Nyon_; no.
8135.
MORGANT LE GEANT. "_A Troyes, Chez Nicholas Oudot_, 1650, 4to." A pretty wood-cut frontispiece, and an extraordinary large cut of St. George and the Dragon on the reverse. There was a previous Edition by the same Printer at Rouen, in 1618, which contains the second book--wanting in this copy.
GERARD COMTE DE NEVERS, &C. 1526, 4to. The t.i.tle is over the arms of France, and the text is executed in a handsome gothic letter, in long lines. At the end, it appears to have been printed for _Philip le Noir_. It is a very small quarto, and the volume is of excessive rarity. The present is a fine copy, in red morocco binding.
CRONIQUE DE FLORIMONT, &C. At "_Lyons--par Olivier Arnoullet_," 4to. At the end is the date of 1529. This impression is executed in a handsome gothic type, in long lines.
TROYS FILZ DE ROYS. Printed for "_Nicolas Chrestien--en la Rue neufue nostre Dame_," &c. Without date, 4to. The frontispiece displays a large rude wood cut; and the edition is printed in the black letter, in double columns. All the cuts are coa.r.s.e. The book, however, is of uncommon occurrence.
PARIS ET VIENNE:--"_a Paris, Chez Simon Caluarin rue St. Jacques_." Without date: in double columns; black letter, coa.r.s.ely printed. A pretty wood-cut at the beginning is repeated at the end. This copy is from the Colbert Library.
PIERRE DE PROVENCE ET LA BELLE MAGUELONNE. 1490. 4to. The t.i.tle is over a large wood-cut of a man and woman, repeated on the reverse of the leaf. The impression is in black letter, printed in long lines, with rather coa.r.s.e wood-cuts. I apprehend this small quarto volume to be of extreme rarity.
JEHAN DE SAINTRE--"_Paris, pour Jehan Bonfons_," &c. 4to. _Without date_. A neatly printed book, in double columns, in the gothic character. There is no cut but in the frontispiece. A ms. note says, "This is the first and rarest edition, and was once worth twelve louis." The impression is probably full three centuries old.
BERINUS ET AYGRES DE LAYMANT. At bottom: sold at "_Paris par Jehan de Bonfons_, 4to. _No date._ It is in double columns, black letter, with the device of the printer on the reverse of the last leaf. A rare book.
JEAN DE PARIS. "Le Romat de Iehan de Paris, &c. _a Paris, par Jehan Bonfons_, 4to. _Without date_. In black letter, long lines: with rather pretty wood-cuts. A ms. note at the end says: "Ce roman que jay lu tout entier est fort singulier et amusant--cest de luy douvient le proverbe "_train de Jean de Paris_." Cest ici la plus ancienne edition. Elle est rare." The present is a sound copy. There are some pleasing wood-cuts at the end.
CRONIQUE DE CLERIADUS, &C. "_On les vend a Lyon au pres de nostre dame de confort cheulx Oliuier Arnoullet_. At the end; 1529. 4to. This edition, which is very scarce, is executed in a handsome gothic type, in long lines.
The present is a cropt but sound copy.
GUILLAUME DE PALERNE, &C. At bottom--beneath a singular wood-cut of some wild animal (wolf or fox) running away with a child, and a group of affrighted people retreating--we read: "_On les vent a Lyon aupres Dame de Confort chez Oliuier Arnoulle_." At the end is the date of 1552.
---- Another edition of the same romance, _printed at Rouen, without date, by the widow of Louis Coste_, 4to. A mere ballad-style of publication: perhaps not later than 1634.--the date of our wretched and yet most popular impression of the Knights of the Round Table.
DAIGREMONT ET VIVIAN. _Printed by Arnoullet, at Lyons_, in 1538, 4to. It is executed in a handsome gothic letter, in long lines. This copy is bound up with the _first_ edition of the Cronique de Florimont--for which turn to a preceding page[90]. In the same volume is a third romance, ent.i.tled
LA BELLE HELAYNE, 1528, 4to.:--_Printed by the same printer_, with a singular wood-cut frontispiece; in a gothic character not quite so handsome as in the two preceding pieces.
JOURDAIN DE BLAVE. _A Paris, par Nicolas Chrestien_," 4to. _Without date_.
Printed in double columns, in a small coa.r.s.e gothic letter.
DOOLIN DE MAYENCE. _A Paris--N. Bonfons_. _Without date_, 4to. Probably towards the end of the sixteenth century; in double columns, in the roman letter. Here is another edition, _printed at Rouen_, by _Pierre Mullot_; in roman letter; in double columns. A coa.r.s.e, wretched performance.
MEURVIN FILS D"OGER, &C. _A Paris;--Nicolas Bonfons_." 4to. _Without date_.
In the roman letter, in double columns. A fine copy.
MELUSINE. Evidently by _Philip le Noir_, from his device at the end. It is executed in a coa.r.s.e small gothic letter; with a strange, barbarous frontispiece. Another edition, having a copy of the same frontispiece,-- "_Nouuellement Imprimee a Troyes par Nicolas Oudot. 1649."_ 4to. Numerous wood-cuts. In long lines, in the roman letter.
TREBISOND. At the end: for "_Iehan Trepperel demourat en la rue neufue nostre dame A lenseigne de lescu de frac_. Without date, 4to. The device of the printer is at the back of the colophon. This impression is executed in the black letter, in double columns, with divers wood-cuts.
HECTOR DE TROYE. The t.i.tle is over a bold wood-cut frontispiece, and _Arnoullet_ has the honour of being printer of the volume. It is executed in the black letter, in long lines. After the colophon, at the end, is a leaf containing a wood-cut of a man and woman, which I remember to have seen more than once before.
And now, methinks, you have had a pretty liberal a.s.sortment of ROMANCES placed before you, and may feel disposed to breathe the open air, and quit for a while this retired but interesting collection of ancient tomes. Here, then, let us make a general obeisance and withdraw; especially as the official announce of "deux heures viennent de sonner" dissipates the charm of chivalrous fiction, and warns us to shut up our volumes and begone.
[81] [The only copy of it in England, UPON VELLUM, is that in the Royal Library in the British Museum.]
[82] [It seems that it is a production of the GIUNTI Press. Cat. _des Livr. &c. sur Velin_, vol. ii. p. 59.]
[83] [I learn from M. c.r.a.pelet that this book is a _Lyons Counterfeit_ of the Aldine Press; and that the _genuine_ Aldine volume, upon vellum, was obtained, after my visit to Paris, from the Macarthy Collection.]
[84] [I had blundered sadly, it seems, in the description of this book in the previous edition of this work: calling it a _Theocritus_, and saying there was a second copy on _large paper_. M. c.r.a.pelet is copious and emphatic in his detection of this error.]
[85] [I thank M. c.r.a.pelet for the following piece of information--from whatever source he may have obtained it: "The library of Henri II. and Diane de Poictiers was sold by public auction in 1724, after the death of Madame La Princesse Marie de Bourbon, wife of Louis-Joseph, Duc de Vendome, who became Proprietor of the Chateau d"Anet. The Library, was composed of a great number of MSS. and Printed Books, exceedingly precious. The sale catalogue of the Library, which is a small duodecimo of 50 pages, including the addenda, is become very scarce."
c.r.a.pELET; vol. iii. 347.
My friend M. GAIL published a very interesting brochure, about ten years ago, ent.i.tled _Lettres Inedites de Henri II. Diane de Poitiers, Marie Stuart, Francois, Roi Dauphin &c_. Amongst these letters, there was only ONE specimen which the author could obtain of the _united_ scription, or rather signatures, of Henry and Diana. Of these signatures he has given a fac-simile; for which the Reader, in common with myself, is here indebted to him. Below this _united_ signature, is one of Diana HERSELF--from a letter entirely written in her own hand. It must be confessed that she was no Calligraphist.
[Autographs: Henri II, Diane de Poitiers]
[86] [My friend Mr. Drury possessed a similar copy.]
[87] It may not be generally known that one of the most minute and interesting accounts of this a.s.sa.s.sination is given in _Howell"s Familiar Letters_. The author had it from a friend who was an eye-witness of the transaction.
[88] As for the "_singeing_."--or the reputed story of the greater part of them having been _burnt_--my opinion still continues to be as implied above: I will only now say that FORTUNATE is that _Vendor_ who can obtain _25l._ for a copy--be that copy brown or fair.
[89] [My friend, the late Robert Lang, Esq. whose extraordinary Collection of Romances was sold at the close of the preceding year, often told me, that THE ABOVE was the _only_ Romance which he wanted to complete his Collection.]
[90] Page 164, ante.
_LETTER VII._