ibrary, I think I may venture to foretell that this Boccace will produce not much less than five hundred pounds.

The more particular description of this most rare book is as follows: I transcribe from De Bure, N° 3654.

"Il Decamerone di Messer Giovanni Bocaccio. Editio Primaria et eximia raritatis, per Christophorum Valdarfer Ratisponensem excusa (Venetiis) Anno 1471, in fol."

De Bure had never seen it, but has taken his description from former bibliographers. The reader who wishes for more particular information on the subject, may consult the Bibliographie Instructive, Belles Lettres, vol. 2. p. 48. et seq..

BICHARD

RICHARD FAKES.

THIS old printer's name is sometimes written Fawkes. There was another of the same name, who printed before him, and, I believe, followed Wynken de Worde. The productions of both are among the rarest specimens of our earliest English literature.

This tract, which I am about to describe, is not only a very great curiosity in itself, but, I believe, a unique copy; at least I have never seen or heard of any but this, which belongs to the British Museum.

It is in black letter, and duodecimo form. No date. It has this title page;

"DE CURSIONE LUNE,

Here begynneth the Course and Disposicion of the Dayes of the Moone in Laten and in Englishe, whiche be good, and whiche be badde, after the Influences of the Moone. Drawen out of a Boke of Aristoteles de Astronomiis,'

It is a kind of astrological fortune-telling treatise, in which, after describing the phases of the moon, and foretelling the fortunes and characters of those, who shall happen to be born on

each

each particular day of the moon, as he, who is born on the fourth day of the moon, tractatu regni erit, on the 17th, infelix erit, on the 26th, nec dives nec pauper erit, &c. the author descants on each particular day, in old English verse, as follows:

Whoso be borne that day without fayle,

He shall have a party travayle,

He shall be a party lectour,

But he shall suffer many a sharp shour,

He shall well over scape

all

And great rychesse hym shall be,

And greater well on that he dey.

Who so that daye do ony foly
Or any theft, and therefore file,
Hastely founde shall he be.

Who so that day in sicknesse fall
Some day on wast he shall.

What thou thynkyst in thy dremynge,
It shall amende ne helpe no thynge.

That

That day is good for every man I wys,
To passe the see with marchandys.
That day to let the blood,

So neyther moche evel ne good.

THE X DAY.

The x daye was born Noe.
What chyld so that daye borne be
He shall be recklesse I understonde,'
And ron through many dyverse londe.
Who so that day fall in sicknessé,
He shall well-woo skeppe I gesse.
That day is good of other thynges,
To bye and sell, and make wedynges,
To passe the see and letyn blood,
And all other thynges that ben good,
That thou wylt begynnyn then
To Goddes worshyp and help of man.
But what thou dremyst I tell the
It shall all turne into vanyte.

The thirtieth day concludes thus:

How have ye herde olde and yong,
Discryed many dyverse thyng

Of chafare, of dremys, of chyldren byrth,
Of bledying, of wedyng, and other myrth,
And by our formost faders wytnesse.
But I warne you both more and lesse,
That ye be never the more bolde,
For any thing that I have tolde.

After

After which follows this adverstisement: "And be for to sell in Saynt Martyns Parishe, at the sygne of Saynt John Evangelyst."

The last page has the printer's mark; Two unicorns supporting a mantle twined round an arrow, on which are the initials R. F. above a female head. At the bottom is "Richard Fakes" at length.

1

RURAL