The World's Vanities (Divided into 8 Branches:--1st. Strength,
2nd. Honour, 3rd. Riches, 4th. Beautie, 5th. Pleasure, 6th.
Wisdom, 7th. Children, 8th. Long Life) contains about 550
lines.
The Popish Powder Plot (The Speakers--Christ--King
James--Elizabeth--Peeres of England--The Lords appointed to
trye the Traitors--The Earls of Nottingham, Suffolke, the Lord
Monteagle--The Sherriffe of Worcester--The Devill--the Jesuit
Gerrard--Robert Catesby--Thomas Percy, Guy Faux, &c. &c. &c.)
contains about 1560 lines.
Replies to Minor Queries.
_Death, how symbolised_ (Vol. iii., p. 450.).--I beg to inform your
correspondent S. T. D., that in an old 4to. volume in my possession,
which treats principally of the topic about which he is inquiring, there
are several engravings of Death as a skeleton. In one he is armed with a
bow and arrow, an axe, and a scythe notched as a saw. In another he has
an axe only: while in a third, in which he is announcing his dissolution
to a man on his deathbed, he has a spade in his left hand, while with
his right he points upwards; and on his head is a wreath of thorns with
flowers standing up out of it. I do not know whether the book is a rare
one or not. It is in black letter, and at the end is the date 1515. The
title, which is a woodcut, rather curious, is--_Sermones Johannis
Geilerii Keiserspergii, &c., &c._ There are also six other woodcuts,
after the manner of Albert Durer, very quaint and curious. The volume is
in its original vellum, over oak boards, finely tooled, and has once
been bound at the corners and clasped with metal. In MS. on the top of
the title are the words "Monast. S. Udalrici Aug'æ." Though in very good
condition, the black-letter type is so curiously crabbed and abbreviated
that I have not had time to do more than ascertain that it seems a very
singular and a learned work.