4. ¬Dudley¬, Robert, earl of Leicester. [_ornament_] IN | ADVENTVM
ILLVSTRIS-|_SIMI LECESTRENSIS COMITIS AD_ | _Collegium Lincolniense_. |
Impr. 3: “tertio idus Ianuarij” 1585: (one) 8^o: pp. [2]: chiefly Pica
Roman. Contents:—p. (1) title as above: large device of University
arms: then “Carmen gratulatorium” of 8 elegiac lines, _beg._ “Comiter
hoc factum est”: then imprint.
Very rare. The visit appears from Wood’s ©Annals© ii. 223 to have been
in Jan. 1584/5, and the date of printing 11 Jan. 1584/5. The
difficulties in the way of regarding this sheet as the first printing
of the new Oxford Press are the form of the date, which usually
implies Jan. 1585/6, the assertion of Barnes that the Case was the
first production, and the improbability that the Committee of
Convocation appointed to consider “de libris imprimendis” on 23 Dec.
1584 would proceed to action so soon as 11 Jan. 1584/5. But the
fitness of the earlier date is too obvious to be gainsaid. This piece
is probably the first printed sheet issued by Barnes.
5. ¬Parsons¬, Robert. A | BOOKE OF | CHRISTIAN EX-|ERCISE APPERTAI-|ning
to RESOLVTI-|ON, that is, shewing | how that we should re-|solue our
selues to be-|come Christians in-|deede. _By R. P._ | _Perused, and
accompanied_ | _nowe with a treatise ten-_|_ding to pacificati-_|_on,
By_ | EDMVND BVNNY. [Then a _motto_ from Hebr. xiii. 8: the whole title
and imprint is within a border of ornament.]
Impr. 2_a_ (colophon 4): 1585: sm. 12^o: pp. [28] + 494 + [2] + 140:
p. 11 beg. _ons, or if_, 111 _confidence_, 2nd p. 11 _helpes
whatsoeuer_, 111 _hel should_: chiefly Long Primer Roman. Contents:—p.
(1) title: (3–8) Bunny’s Epistle dedicatorie to Edwin Sandys, archbp.
of York (9–18) Bunny’s “Preface to the reader”: (19–28) “The contentes
of ... this booke”: 1–493 [misprinted 439], the work, in 2 parts: (1)
title of Bunny’s treatise: 1–140, the treatise: before p. 1 of the
treatise is an oblong sheet 5 × 11 in., folded, containing on one side
in two divisions “A table ... of the treatise following”: on p. 140 is
also a colophon.
Of this book also there is a curious history. Gaspare Loarte, a
Spanish Jesuit who spent most of his life at Rome, wrote an
“Essercitio della vita christiana” some time before 1569. In 1570, J.
Sancer, a friend of Robert Parsons the Jesuit, published a translation
into English of one of the three parts of the work. In 1582 Parsons
himself published “The firste booke of the Christian Exercise,
appertayning to resolution” in two parts, which is practically a new
work based on part of the original “Essercitio.” Loarte is mentioned
in the preface, but the author only signs his name by the initials, R.
P. This was again issued without Parsons’ knowledge in 1584.
In 1585 (or according to Wood and Ames, copied by Herbert and Dibdin,
in 1584) Edmund Bunny printed and published the first edition of an
adaptation of Parsons’ book fitted for Protestant readers “at London,
by N. Newton, for Iohn Wight,” 8^o. The dedication is to the archbp.
of York and the preface dated 9 July 1584 at Bolton-Percy. The book
was entered at Stationers’ Hall on 28 Aug. 1584. The Oxford edition
before us is a reprint of this London edition with no intentional
variation, except the omission of the arms of the archbishop of York
on the _verso_ of the title of the London issue. Some of the woodcut
ornaments and capitals of the two issues are identical.
In “1585, Aug. 30” Parsons again put out his book in a revised and
largely augmented form with a new title “A Christian Directorie” which
when complete was to consist of three books, the first of which,
treating of Resolution, is alone contained in this edition. The
preface contains a criticism of the London issue of Bunny’s
adaptation, which provoked “A briefe answer vnto those idle and
friuolous quarrels of R. P. against the late edition of the
Resolution: By Edmund Bunny.” Lond., 1589, 8^o.
Other editions of Bunny’s adaptation of Parsons’ “Christian exercise”
are 1586 (Lond., “by I. Iackson and Ed. Bollifant for John Wight,”
12^o; in Herbert’s possession), 1589 (Lond., 12^o: Bohn), 1594 (Lond.,
24^o: Bohn), 1609 (Lond., 12^o: Bohn), 1615 (Lond., 12^o). See also
next art. Parsons’ own work was several times reprinted: and in 1591
appeared an edition of his “Christian Directorie,” anonymously
adapted, as the former work, for the use of Protestants, and with the
deceptive title “The second part of the booke of Christian Exercise,
appertayning to Resolution, or a Christian directorie ... written by
the former authour R. P.” (Lond., 12^o). This was several times
reprinted, as in 1592, 1594, 1598, 1615. See also Wood’s ©Ath. Oxon.©,
ii. 221: and the next art.
6. ¬Parsons¬, Robert. A | BOOKE OF | CHRISTIAN EX-|ERCISE APPERTAI-|NING
TO RESOLVTION, | that is, shewing how that | wee shoulde resolue
our|selues to become Christi-|ans indeede, _By R. P._ | _Perused, and
accompanied now_ | _with a treatise tending to_ | _Pacification, By_ |
EDMVND BVNNY. | [_motto._ The whole title is within a border.]
Impr. 2_a_ (colophon 4): 1585: sm. 12^o: pp. [30] + 492 + [2] + 140:
p. 11 beg. _what man_, 111 _Gospell, which_: also p. 11 _nounce all_,
111 _it they should_: chiefly Long Primer Roman. Contents:—as
preceding article, without the folded “Table” to Bunny’s treatise,
viz.:—p. (1) title: (3–9) epistle: (10–19) preface: (20–29) contents:
1–491, the treatise: (1) title: 1–140 Bunny’s treatise, with colophon.
This volume is apparently identical in text (not spelling or
punctuation) with the preceding art., but is entirely reset: from p.
252 of this edition (= 254 of the other) the two correspond page for
page in Parsons’ treatise.
7. ¬Prime¬, John. A SERMON BRIEF-|LY COMPARING THE E-|STATE OF KING
SALOMON AND | his Subiectes togither with the condi-|tion of Queene
ELIZABETH | and her people. | PREACHED IN SAINCT MA-|_ries in Oxford
the_ 17. _of Nouember, and_ | _now printed with some small alteration_,
| _by_ IOHN PRIME, | 1585. | [_ornament._]
Impr. 4: 1585: sm. 8^o: pp. [32], signn. A-B^8: sign. B 1^r beg.
_passion, that_: chiefly Pica English. Contents:—p. (1) title: (3–5)
Epistle “to the Christian reader”: (6–30), the sermon, on 1 Kings x.
9: (31–32) “A praier in consideration of the former respects.”
See Wood’s ©Ath. Oxon.©, i. 653. The Epistle is dated 27 Nov. 1585,
and alludes to Bilson’s book as “euen now comming foorth.”