In regard to this list it may be observed first that in the two cases where the beginning of the book or piece in question is not cited, we may safely assume that Bale had not seen it. This applies to the _Speculum Meditantis_ and the supposed piece _De compunctione cordis_, of which I can give no account. It will be observed that he makes the short prose preface to the _Cronica Tripertita_, ‘Opus humanum est inquirere’ &c., into a separate work in three books. The other items are all recognizable, except ‘Epigrammata quaedam, Lib. 1, “Alta petens aquila volat alitque.”’ Here we may observe that the quotation is from _Vox Clamantis_ vi. 985, ‘Alta petens aquila volat alite celsius omni,’ &c. (a passage taken from the _Aurora_); and on referring to Bale’s unpublished papers[72] we find the description of this supposed book of epigrams in the following form, ‘Ex suo libro et sanctifidensi chron. Epigrammata edidit, li. 1, “Alta petens aquila volat alite,”’ whence we should gather that the book referred to was a collection of quotations. It is probable that Bale may have seen in some Gower MS. a selection of sententious passages from the _Vox Clamantis_ and other places, such as we actually have on one of the blank leaves of the Digby MS. (f. 160), beginning ‘Vulturis est hominum natura cadauera velle,’ again one of those allegories of bird nature which were borrowed by Gower from the _Aurora_. It may be noted here that in the same passage of Bale’s unpublished papers we have the following statement: ‘De triplici opere hoc carmen est super eius tumbam editum, Quos viuens legi libro nunc offero regi, Cuius habent legi secula cuncta regi.’ Also the following is given as the epitaph of his wife, ‘Quam bonitas, pietas, elemosina, casta voluntas, Sobrietas que fides coluerunt, hic iacet Agnes. Vxor amans, humilis Gower fuit illa Ioannis: Donet ei summus celica regna Deus.’ These statements seem to be given by Bale on the authority of Nicholas Brigham, to whom we owe the tomb of Chaucer in Westminster Abbey. THE TEXT AND THE MANUSCRIPTS. Gower’s principal Latin work, the _Vox Clamantis_, is found in ten manuscripts altogether. Of these four are evidently contemporary with the author and contain also the _Cronica Tripertita_ and most of the other Latin poems printed in this volume. Some of these last are found also in other MSS. of the _Vox Clamantis_, some Latin pieces are contained in the Trentham MS. of the _Praise of Peace_ and the _Cinkante Balades_ (described in vol. i. p. lxxix), and the _Cronica Tripertita_ occurs separately in the Bodleian MS. Hatton 92. Copies of the _Carmen de multiplici Viciorum Pestilencia_ are contained in some MSS. of the _Confessio Amantis_, viz. TBAP₂ of the second recension, and FH₂K of the third, and with regard to these the reader is referred to the account given of the manuscripts in the Introduction to the second volume of this edition.