21 The i. William Caxton, our first Printer. Translation of Reynard the Fox. 1481. [Colophon.] / haue not added ne mynusshed but haue folowed as nyghe as I can my copye which was in dutche / and by me william Caxton translated in to this rude and symple en- glyssh in th[e abbey of westmestre. Interesting for its own sake ; but especially as being trans- lated as well as printed by Caxton, who finished the printing on 6 June 1481. The Story is the History of the Three fraudulent Escapes of the Fox from punishment, the record of the Defeat of Justice by flattering lips and dishonourable deeds. It also shows the struggle between the power of Words and the power of Blows, a conflict be- tween Mind and Matter. It was necessary for the physi- cally weak to have Eloquence: the blame of Reynard is in the frightful misuse he makes of it. The author says, “ There is in the world much seed left of the Fox, which now over all groweth and cometh sore up, though they have no red beards.” English Scholar s Library . 2. John Knox, the Scotch Reformer. The First Blast of the Trumpet, & c. i 558 . (a) The First Blast of the Trumpet against the monstrous Regi- ment of Women . (b) The Propositions to be entreated in the Second Blast. This work was wrung out of the heart of John Knox, while, at Dieppe, he heard of the martyr fires of England, and was anguished thereby. At that moment, the liberties of Great Britain, and therein the hopes of the whole World, lay in the laps of four women — Mary of Loraine, the Re- gent of Scotland ; her daugh- ter Mary (the Queen of Scots); Queen Mary Tu- dor ; and the Princess Eliza- beth. The Volume was printed at Geneva. (c) Knox’s apolo- getical Defence of his First Blast, &c. to Queen Elizabeth. 1 559 - 3 - Clement Robinson, and divers others. A Handful of pleasant DELIGHTS. 1584. A Handefull of pleasant delites , Con- taining sundrie new Sonets and delectable Histories , in diuers kindes of Meeter. Nezvly deuised to the newest tunes that are now in vse, to be sung: euerie Sonet orderly pointed to his proper Tune . With new additions of certain Songs , to verie late deuised Notes , not commonly knowen , nor vsed heretofore . Ophelia quotes from A Nosegaie &°c. in this Poetical Miscellany ; of which only one copy is now known. It also contains the earliest text extant of the Ladie Greensleeues , which first ap- peared four years previously. This is the Third printed Poetical Miscellany in our language.
