A Short History of English Printing, 1476-1898Plomer, Henry R. (Henry Robert)
History
A Short History of English Printing, 1476-1898
Plomer, Henry R. (Henry Robert)
England -- Imprints; Printing -- England -- History
Although this book (an octavo) bore no date, the names of the
subscribing bishops fix it as 1566 or 1567. In the latter year appeared
the Archbishop's metrical version of the _Psalter_, which he had
compiled during his enforced exile under Mary. In connection with this
it may be well to point out that Day printed many editions of the
_Psalter_ with musical notes. In 1568 he used the Saxon types again to
print William Lambard's _Archaionomia_, a book of Saxon laws. Amongst
his other productions of that year must be mentioned the folio edition
of Peter Martyr's _Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans_; Gildas the
historian's _De excidio et conquestu Britanniæ_, 1568, 8vo; and a French
version of Vandernoot's _Theatre for Worldlings_, 'Le Theatre auquel
sont exposés et monstrés les inconveniens et misères qui suivent les
mondains et vicieux, ensemble les plaisirs et contentements dont les
fidèles jouissent.' There is a copy of this very rare book in the
Grenville collection. The _Theatre for Worldlings_ was translated into
English the following year, and contained verses from the pen of Edmund
Spenser, then a boy of sixteen. But Day's press played little part in
the spread of the romantic literature with which the name of Spenser is
so closely linked. Day's work was with the Reformation and the religious
questions of the time. Nevertheless, that he felt the influence of the
coming change is shown from a publication that issued from his press in
1570. This was the authorised version of a play which had been acted
nine years before by the gentlemen of the Inner Temple before Her
Majesty. It had shortly afterwards been published by William Griffith of
Fleet Street as:--
'The Tragedy of Gorboduc, whereof Three Actes were wrytten by Thomas
Norton and the two last by Thomas Sackvyle. Set forth as the same was
shewed before the Queenes most excellent Maiestie in her highnes Court
of Whitehall, the xviii day of January Anno Domini 1561, By the
gentlemen of Thynner Temple in London.' Day's edition was entitled:--
'The Tragidie of Ferrex and Porrex, set forth without addition or
alteration, but altogether as the same was showed on stage before the
Queens Maiestie about nine yeares past, viz. the xviii day of Januarie
1561, by the gentlemen of the Inner Temple.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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