Però vi consigliamo, A farvi lume innanzi ch'al morire ; Ch'à Voi pensin, se non per arricchire. The curious in Italian Literature will not be displeased to know, that a perfect copy of this very scarce book, with the whole of Ottenaio's compositions, is preserved in the Cracherode Collection. CRONICA DE ESPANA. Los cinco Libros primeros de la Cronica general de Espana que recopila et maestro Florian do Campo, Cronista del Rey nuestro Senor por mandado de su magestad en Carrona. Impresso en Medina del Campo por Guillermo de Millis. Anno 1553. Con Previlegio Real. CONCERNING the author of this rare and curious book, I find the following memorandum by Mr. Cracherode. "Florianus de Campo seu de Ocampo, seu Docampo Canonicus fuit Zamoræ et Caroli V. Historiographus. Chronicon generale totius Hispaniæ E paniæ ab origine mundi 1111 Tomis scribere constituerat, morte abreptus nihil ipse edidit præter 1 libros priores Zamoræ 1544. In Editione recentiori vero Medinensi 1553, quintus Liber Conspicitur additus.” It is no where said, whether this fifth book is by the same author, but it appears to treat of the first entrance of the Romans into Spain under the com.nand of Cneius Scipio. The Marquis del Campo who resided for so many years as ambassador from Spain to this country, was probably of the same family with the Historian. CAXTON. The Boke of Eneydos, compyled by Vyrgyle. 1490. THIS is a sort of prose abridgment of the Æneid, and the preface, as indeed Ames observes, exhibits observable proofs of the fleeting fashions of our English tongue. It commences thus: After dyverse werkes made, translated and achieved havyng noq werke in hand, I sittyng in in my studye where as lay many dyverse paunflettis and bookys, happened that to my hande cam a lytyl booke in Frenche which late was translated oute of Latyn by some noble Clerke of France, &c. &c. and whon I had advised me in this sayde booke, I delybred and concluded to translate it into Englyshe, &c. This circumstance and anecdote are here introduced to prepare the way for the following observation from Gawin Douglas. Gawin Douglas, in his translation of the thirteen books of Virgil's Eneados, in the preface has these words on Caxton's faults, as he calls them : "Thoch Wylliame Caxtoun had no compassioun of Virgill in that buk he prent in prois, clepand il Virgill in Eneados quhilk "that he sayis of Frensche he did translait, it "has nathing ado therwith God wote, nor na 66 mare like than the devil and Sainct Austin." See Ames, Herbert's edition. Vol. 1. p. 70. The History of Caxton's Portrait seems to be involved in some perplexity. On referring to Granger, vol. 1. p. 47, mention is made of one only with his cypher in old black capitals cut in wood for Ames's History of Printing. This is a most miserable performance. In the British Museum is a book, which appears to have been purchased of the celebrated Mr. Bagford by Sir Hans Sloane, containing, among other things, seven heads of the first printers of England, in Indian ink, and drawn by Faithorn, jun'. probably for the said Mr. Bagford. Of these the first is William Caxton, and this is, in all probability, the original from which the head in Ames's History of Printing was taken, 2d edition by Herbert. There is; however, another head of Caxton in Ames's first edition, and in Lewis's Life of Caxton, as different as possible from that abovementioned. In these two latter books, Caxton is represented as a Turk, with a turban and a long beard. It would be worth while for those who have leisure to prosecute the enquiry, to know from which picture of Caxton these two heads were severally taken. I am inclined to believe, that the head by Faithorn in Mr. Bagford's Collection, was taken from the original picture, which, as Caxton was a Citizen and Mercer, is probably possessed by one or other of the city companies. The Mr. Bagford here alluded to, was so very singular a character, that a little farther notice of him will not, I presume, be unamusing. "John Bagford, the Antiquary and great "collector of old English books, prints, &cc. was born in London. He had been, in his younger days, a shoemaker, afterwards a bookseller, and lastly, for the many curiosities se with which he enriched the famous library of "Dr. Dr. John Moore, Bishop of Ely, His Lordship got him admitted into the Charter House. "He was several times in Holland and in other "foreign parts, where he procured many valu"able old books, prints, &ce. some of which "he disposed of to the late Earl of Oxford, "who after his death, purchased all his col"lections, papers, &cc. for his library. In 1707, were published in the Philosophical Trans"actions, his Proposals for a General History of Printing. He died at Islington, a little before "six in the morning, May 15, 1716, aged 65 years, and was buried the Monday following "in the Church Yard belonging to the Charter "House. In 1728, a print was engraved of him, from a painting of Mr. Howard by George "Vertue. See an account of his Entries, which was designed for a General History of Printing, in the Catalogue of the Harleian Col"lection of MSS. vol. ii. fol. "from No. 5892 to No. 5910. London, 1759, His мss. may "be of use to such as will take pains to extract "good matter from a bad hand, and worse orthography. This may be easily forgiven to "his education, far from learned, and all his improvements owing to the strength of genius, "seconded by unusual diligence and industry. "A number of his letters to Humphrey Wanley may be seen in the British Museum; and a "large 66 E 3 |