Notes and Queries, Vol. IV, Number 109, November 29, 1851: A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc.Various
History
Notes and Queries, Vol. IV, Number 109, November 29, 1851: A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc.
Various
Questions and answers -- Periodicals
Although I am afraid "NOTES AND QUERIES" may not be considered as open
to contributions purely bibliographical, and admitting I am uncertain
whether the following copy of the treatise of John Fisher, Bishop of
Rochester, has been before noted, I am induced to send this extract from
Techener's _Bulletin du Bibliophile_ for May 1851. The book is in the
library at Douai.
"This Treatise concernynge the fruytful Saynges of David the King
and prophete in the seven penytencyall psalmes, devyded in _ten_
sermons, was made and compyled by the ryght reverente fader in god
Johan Fyssher, doctour of dyvinyte and bysshop of Rochester, at
the exortacion and sterynge of the most excellent pryncesse
Margarete, Countesse of Richemount and Derby, and moder to out
souverayne Lorde Kynge H[=e]ry the VII."
It is described as a small 4to., printed upon vellum, in Gothic letters,
at London, 1508, by Wynkyn de Worde, and contains 146 leaves. On the
first leaf it has a portcullis, crowned with the motto "Dieu et mon
Droit." On the recto of the last leaf there is--
"Here endeth the exposycyon of the 7 psalmes. Enprynted at London
in the fletestrete, at the sygne of ye Sonne, by Wynkyn de Worde.
In the yere of oure lorde M.CCCCC.VIII. ye 16 day of ye moneth of
Juyn. The XXIII. yere of ye reygne of our souverayne Lorde Kynge
H[=e]ry the Seventh."
At the back, there is the sun, the monogram of Wynkyn de Worde--the
letters W. C. displayed as usual--and beneath, "Wynkyn de Worde."
At the beginning of the book, "sur une garde en vélin" (a fly-leaf of
vellum?), there is written in a very neat hand the following ten verses,
the profession of faith of Thomas Morus and of his friend John Fisher,
Bishop of Rochester:
"The surest meanes for to attaine
The perfect waye to endlesse blisse
Are happie lief and to remaine
W'thin ye church where virtue is;
And if thy conscience be sae sounde
To thinse thy faith is truth indeede
Beware in thee noe schisme be founde
That unitie may have her meede;
If unitie thow doe embrace
In heaven (_en_?)joy possesse thy place."
Beneath--
"Qui non rectè vivit in unitate ecclesiæ
Catholicæ, salvus esse non potest."
And lower on the same page--
"Thomas Morus d[=n]s cancellarius Angliæ
Joh. Fisher Epûs Roffensis."
It is traditionally reported, upon the testimony of some Anglican
Benedictines (an order now extinct), that the lines which contain the
profession of faith, and those which follow, are in the handwriting of
Bishop Fisher, and that the work was presented by him to the
chancellor, during their imprisonment, when by order of Henry VIII. the
chancellor was denied the consolation of his books.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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