CHAPTER IV. THE KNOWLEDGE OF EMBLEM-BOOKS IN BRITAIN, AND GENERAL INDICATIONS THAT SHAKESPEARE WAS ACQUAINTED WITH THEM. M ONUMENTS, or memorial stones, with emblematical figures and characters carved upon them, are of ancient date in Britain as elsewhere-probably antecedent even to Christianity itself. Manuscripts, too, ornamented with many a symbolical device, carry us back several hundred years. These we may dismiss from consideration at the present moment, and simply take up printed books devoted chiefly or entirely to Emblems. I. Of printed Emblem-books in the earlier time down to 1598, when Willet's Century of Sacred Emblems appeared, though there were several in the English language, there were only few of pure English origin. Watson and Barclay, in 1509, gave English versions of Sebastian Brant's Fool-freighted Ship. Not later than 1536, nor earlier than 1517, The Dialogue of Creatures moralysed was translated "out of latyn in to our English tonge." In 1549, at Lyons, The Images of the Old Testament, &c., were "set forthe in Ynglishe and Frenche;" and in 1553, from the same city, Peter Derendel gave in English metre The true and lyvely historyke Portreatures of the woll Bible. The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, sometyme Lorde Chauncellour of England, were published in small folio, London, 1557, and in them at the beginning (signature Cijv-C iiij) are inserted what the author names "nyne pageauntes," which, as they existed in his father's house about A.D. 1496, were certainly Emblems. To this list Sir Thomas North, in London, 1570, added The Morall Philosophie of Doni, "out of Italien; Daniell, in 1585, The worthy Tract of Paulus Fovius, which Whitney, in 1586, followed up by A Choice of Emblemes, "Englished and moralized;" and Paradin's Heroicall Devises were "Translated out of Latin into English," London, 1591. To vindicate something of an English origin for a few emblems at least, reference may again be made to the fact that about the year 1495 or 6, "Mayster Thomas More in his youth deuysed in hys fathers house in London, a goodly hangyng of fyne paynted clothe, with nyne pageauntes,* and verses ouer of euery of those pageauntes: which verses expressed and declared, what the ymages in those pageauntes represented: and also in those pageauntes were paynted, the thynges that the verses ouer them dyd (in effecte) declare." In 1592, Wyrley published at London The true use of Armories, &c.; soon after appeared Emblems by Thomas Combe, which, however, are no longer known to be in existence; and then, in 1598, Andrew Willet's Sacrorvm Emblematum Centuria vna, &c.,-"A Century of Sacred Emblems." Guillim, in 1611, supplied A Display of Heraldry; and Peacham, in 1612, A Garden of Heroical Devices. There were, too, in MSS., several Emblem-works in English, some of which have since been edited and made known. Yet we must not suppose that the knowledge of Emblembooks in Britain depended on those only of which an English * The subjects of the "nyne pageauntes," and of their verses, are- “Chyldhod, Manhod, Venus and Cuppde, Age, Beth, Fame, Tyme, Eternitee," in English; and “The Poet” in Latin. version had been achieved. To men of culture, the whole series was open in almost its entire extent. James Hamilton, Earl of Arran, had resided in France, and in 1555, being high in the favour of Henry II., "was made captain of his Scotch lifeguards." A few years before, namely, in 1549, as we have mentioned, p. 108, Aneau's French translation of Alciat's Emblems had been dedicated to him as, "filz de tres noble Prince Jacque Duc de Chastel le herault, Prince Gouverneur du Royaume d'Escoce." Among the rare books in the British Museum is Marquale's Italian Version of Alciat's Emblems, printed at Lyons in 1549; a copy of it, a very lovely book, in the original binding, bears on the back the royal crown, and at the foot the letters "E. VI. R.," -Edwardus Sextus Rex; and, as he died in 1553, we thus have evidence, at how early a date the work was known in England. To the young king it would doubtless be a book "for delight and for ornament." Of Holbein's Imagines Mortis, Lyons, 1545, by George Æmylius, Luther's brother-in-law, a copy now in the British Museum "was presented to Prince Edward by Dr. William Bill, accompanied with a Latin dedication, dated from Cambridge, 19th July, 1546, wherein he recommends the prince's attention to the figures in the book, in order to remind him that all must die to obtain immortality; and enlarges on the necessity of living well. He concludes with a wish that the Lord will long and happily preserve his life, and that he may finally reign to all eternity with his most Christian father. Bill was appointed one of the king's chaplains in ordinary, 1551, and was made the first Dean of Westminster in the reign of Elizabeth."-Douce's Holbein, Bohn's ed., 1858, pp. 93, 94. In 1548, Mary of Scotland was sent into France for her education (Rapin, ed. 1724, vol. vi. p. 30), and here imbibed the taste for, or rather knowledge of, Emblems, which afterwards she put R into practice. To her son, in his fourteenth year, emblems were introduced by no less an authority than that of Theodore Beza. A copy indeed of the works of Alciatus was bound for him when he became King of England,—it is a folio edition, in six volumes or parts, and is still preserved in the British Museum; the royal arms are on the cover, front and back, and fleurs-de-lis in the corners. It was printed at Lyons in 1560, and possibly the Emblems in vol. vi., leaves 334-354, with their very beautiful devices, may have been the companions of his boyhood and early years. By the Emblem-works of Beza and of Alciat probably was laid the foundation of the king's love for allegorical representations, which, under the name of masques, were provided by Jonson for the Court's amusement. The king's weakness in this respect is wittily set forth in the French epigram soon after his death (Rapin's History, 4to, vol. vii. p. 259):— "Tandis qu' Elisabeth fut Roi, To English noblemen, in 1608, Otho van Veen, from Antwerp, commends his Amorum Emblemata,-" Emblems of the Loves," with 124 excellent devices. Thus the dedication runs: "To the moste honorable and woerthie brothers, William Earle of Pembroke, and Philip Earle of Mountgomerie, patrons of learning and cheualrie." In England, therefore, as in Scotland, there were eminent lovers of the Emblem literature. But an acquaintance with that literature may be regarded as more spread abroad and increased when Emblem-books became * Thus to be rendered While Elizabeth, as king, did reign, England the terror was of Spain; Now, chitter-chatter and Emblemes Rule, through our queen, the little James. the sources of ornamentation for articles of household furniture, and for the embellishment of country mansions. A remarkable instance is supplied from The History of Scotland, edition London, 1655, "By William Drummond of Hauthornden." It is in a letter " To his worthy Friend Master Benjamin Johnson," dated July 1, 1619, respecting some needle-work by Mary Queen of Scots, and shows how intimately she was acquainted with several of the Emblem-books of her day, or had herself attained the art of making devices. The whole letter, except a few lines at the beginning, is most interesting to the admirers of Emblems. Drummond thus writes : "I have been curious to find out for you the Impresaes and Emblemes on a Bed of State* wrought and embroidered all with gold and silk by the late Queen Mary, mother to our sacred Soveraign, which will embellish greatly some pages of your Book, and is worthy your remembrance; the first is the Loadstone turning towards the pole, the word her Majesties name turned on an Anagram, Maria Stuart, sa virtu, m'attire, which is not much inferiour to Veritas armata. This hath reference to a Crucifix, before which with all her Royall Ornaments she is humbled on her knees most liuely, with the word, undique; an Impresa of Mary of Lorrain, her Mother, a Phænix in flames, the word,† en ma fin git mon commencement. The Impressa of an Apple-Tree growing in a Thorn, the word, Per vincula crescit. The Impressa of Henry the second, the French King, a Cressant, the word, Donec totum impleat orbem. The Impressa of King Francis the first, a Salamander crowned in the midst of Flames, the word, Nutrisco et extinguo. The Impressa of Godfrey of Bullogne, an arrow passing through three birds, the word, Dederit ne viam Casusve Deusve. That of Mercurius charming Argos, with his hundred eyes, expressed by his Caduceus, two Flutes, and a Peacock, the word, Eloquium tot lumina clausit. Two Women upon the Wheels of Through Mr. Jones, of the Chetham Library, Manchester, I applied to D. Laing, Esq., of the Signet Library, Edinburgh, to inquire if the bed of state is known still to exist. The reply, Dec. 31st, 1867, is "In regard to Queen Mary's bed at Holyrood, there is one which is shown to visitors, but I am quite satisfied that it does not correspond with Drummond's description, as 'wrought in silk and gold.' There are some hangings of old tapestry, but in a very bad state of preservation. Yesterday afternoon I went down to take another look at it, but found, as it was getting dark, some of the rooms locked up, and no person present. Should, however, I find anything further on the subject, I will let you know, but I do not expect it." + This mode of naming the motto appears taken from Shakespeare's Pericles, as— "A black Æthiop, reaching at the sun; The word, Lux tua vita mihi." |