[The following is a curious illustration of the use of the
phrase.
"A person resident in London is said to have had most of
Caxton's publications. He sent them to Amsterdam for inspection,
and, on writing for them, was informed that they had been
destroyed by accident. 'I am very much afraid,' says Herbert,
'my kind friend received but _a Flemish account_ of his
Caxtons.'"--_Typ. Antiq._, p. 1773.]
_La Mer des Histoires._--I find I have a note on that handsome old
French work, _La Mer des Histoires_, which is commonly attributed to
Johannes de Columna, Archbishop of Messina; but upon which Francis
Douce, while taking notice of its being a translation of the _Rudimentum
Noviciorum_ ascribed to Mochartus, observes that it is a different work
from the _Mare Historiarum_ of Johannes de Columna. Douce also informs
us, that there were several works passing under this title. Columna is
mentioned by Genebrard as the author of a book, _Cujus titulus est Mater
Historiarum_. Query? What is known of the work, which is really
Columna's?
John Sansom.
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