Guardian from London, Greater London, England • Page 19

1805 gZtteratttte srttfr Safeties. EARLY TUDOR PROCLAMATIONS. With the exception of Lord Crawford, who has acquired some 19 000 Proclamations, and Papal Bulls, collectors nowadays not greatly concern themselves with broadsides and sheets." tue seventeenth century the historical value of such publications was better appreciated, and, in particular, several antiquaries seem to have set themselves to collect English proclamations. To the industry of one of these, Humphrey Dyson, the British Museum owes a splendid collection of Elizabethan proclamations, now in the Grenville Library, and it also possesses two copies of Grafton's reprint of all the proclamations he had printed for Edward VI. during the first four years of his reign.

Proclamations earlier than these have until lately only been represented at the Museum by five examples, all of them, it is true, of great that of 1511 for encouraging the use of the long bow that of 1530 for dampning of erronious bokes and pro- liibitingo the having of Holy Scripture translated into the vulgar tonges of Englisske, Frenche, or Duoho;" its complement of 1541, ordering "the Byble of the largest and greatest volume, to be laid in every churche;" a proclamation of 1533, ordering that Aragon should not henceforth "have or use the name, style, title, or dignitie of Queno;" lastly, one of 1542," con- cernyng eatyng of white meates in Lent. Three of five proclamations are thus of capital importance, the other two of much interest, and in the extreme difficulty of obtaining other example? it was matter for congratulation that at least these had been secured, neither the Record-office nor any other public library possessing as many specimens from Henry reign. One, bowever, of the seventeenth-century collectors, luckier thau his fellows, had been able to begin his series of proclamations not with the earliest issued by Elizabeth, but with Machlinia's reprint of the Papal Bull on the marriage of Henry VII. with Elizabeth of York. By good fortune this unique collection found its way during the last century to tho library of the Society of Antiquaries, 1 he society has recently, with great liberality, allowed the Trustees of the British Museum to reprodueo by photolithography all the ninoty -ono pravElizabothan proclamations not already in their possession.

A few great libraries and privnto collectors were admitted to join in tho scheme, and thus by tho production of four-and-twenty sots of excellent facsimiles- these earlv proclamations have been secured from the chapter of accidents and made more easily available for study. Somo fifty of the facsimiles, together with tho few originals previously possessed by the Museum and one or two manuscript drafts, are now on temporary exhibition in tho King's Library, and it seems worth while to draw attention to their social and historical importance. Tho most interesting of these proclamations are those which deal with the ecclesiastical revolution under Henry but beforo turning to these some of those touching on other subjects may bo briefly noticed. Thus one series of them deals with tho coiuago, another with the prices of provisions, another with tho duties of English subjects during tho different wars with Prance. Of tho coinage series tho most notable is a proclamation of 1504, very finely printed by William Faqucs, with well-cut.

illustrations of coins to explain the definition of what constituted "clipping." Tho regulations as to tho prices of meat are, of highly tantalising. Tho charge for a pound of beef or pork was fixed, now at halfpenny and half-a-farthing (an inconvenient sum), now at three farthings; mutton and veal, being priced a little higher, at from three-farthings to one penny. Other regulations fixed tho prico of every imaginable bird, from fat swans downward while another is concerned with the capacity of beer- barrels In the military proclamations we may note tho encouragement given to shooting with the crossbow in time of war, and its prohibition in peace; the very minute regulations under Mary as to the weapons and armour which householders of various ranks had to keep in good order for the Royal service, and the trouble taken to restrain mariners who might be needed for the navy from putting to sea in merchant vessels. One other proclamation deserves mention for its business-like ferocity. In June, 1530, all justices of tho peace, mayors, sheriffs, and constables were ordered to apprehend every vagabond or mighty beggar, whether man or woman, found out of the hundred where ho or she was born, or out of the town or place where ho or she last dwelt by the of three years, unless they had demanded a billet" to convey themselves thither.

On apprehension, unless the state of their skin showed that the operation had already been recently performed, they were to be stripped, bound, and sharply beaten and scourged, "al vayn pitie and other excuses layde aparte," and a billet was then to be given them, for which this form is provided A taken at in the eountio of as vagabounde, without eedulo or token of skourging, and therfore whipped at aforesaid, the day of the mpneth of the yero of the raigne of our soveraigne lorde kinge Henry the eight, in the presence of T. E. constable and other of the inhabitantes of the aanie towne." This billet or schedule once given would carry the poor rogue scatheless on his journey, and we may imagine that it was a precious possession, more especially as in the absence of any statement of the hundred or town to which he should be travelling it apparently left him free to wander at will to a whole series of imaginary birthplaces. In his secular proclamations Henry VIII. was mostly content with issuing bis commands.

In those dealing with ecclesiastical affairs ho frequently, and with great elaboration, explains. The explanations offered are almost always exceedingly clever, and they help to render more intelligible the extraordinary success with which Henry imposed his policy on the country. Berthelet's bill for printing some of these proclamations is still extant (his charge for each copy, filling a full sheet of Genoa paper, was and from this we learn that it was his custom, in the case of all important issues, to print and deliver to the Chancellor an edition of 600 copies. These were doubtless distributed to every city and borough, and there recited and posted, and must have formed a ery efficacious means of influencing opinion. As a good example of these argumentative edicts we may take that dealing with the unsainting of Thomas a Becket, a measure which, in view of the centuries during which a Canterbury pilgrimage had been a religious holiday, must have created no email ferment.

Here is the paragraph in full from £ue proclamation of November lGth, i Item for as moche as it appereth now clerely that Thomas Becket, somtyme Archbyshop of Cantarburie, stubburnely to withstand tho holsome lawes establyshed againste the enormities of the clergie, by the kynges highnes moosto noble progenitour, kyngo Henry the seconde, for the common welthe reste and tranqnillitio of this realnio, of his frowarde myndo fledde the realme into Fraunce, and to the bishop of Rome, mayntendur of those enormities, to procure the abrogation of the sayd lawes, wherby arose moch. trouble in this said realme. And that his detho, whiehe they untruely called martyrdomo, happened upon a reskewe by him made, and that as it is written, he gavo opprobrious wordes to the gentyllmen, wnicho than counsaylled hym to leave his stubbernesso, and to avoyde the commocyon of the people, rysen up for that rescue. And he not onely callyd the one of them bawde, but also toke Tracy by the bosome and violently shoke arid plucked hym in suche marier that ho bad almoste overthrowen hym to the pavement of the churche, So that upon this fray one of their company perceivyngo the same, strako hym, and so in the throngo Becket was slayne, And further that his Canonization was made onely by the bysshop of Rome, bycause he had ben a champion to mayntoyne his usurped auotoritio, and a bearer of the iniquitio of the clergie, For these and for other great and urgent causes, longe to recyte, the Kynges Maiestie, by the advyse of his Counsayle hath thought expedyent to declare to his lovyngo subieofces, that notwithstaudyngo tho sayde canonization, there appereth nothynge in his life and exteriour conversation wherby ho shuld be callyd a sainct, but rathor estertiod to have ben a rebell and tray tour to bin prynce: Therfore His Grace strayghtly chargeth and commandeth that from honseforth the eayde Thomas Becket shall not be estomod, named, reputed norcallod a sayncte, but Bysshop Beckot, and that his ymages and pictures, through the hole roalme, shall bo putte downo and avoyded out of all churches, chapellos, and other places, and that from henseforth the dayes used to be festivall in his name shall not be nor the servico, office, antiphones, eollettos and prayers in his name rodde, but rased and put out of all tho bokes." Tho orders given in tho last few words woro only too faithfully obeyed, and it is unusual to find any of tho older English sorvico- books, or cditious of the Lcgenda Aurea, in which all that relates to Thomas Becket has not boen sedulously erasod. As to the account given of Bockol's death, whatever may bo thought of its honesty, it must bo owned, I think, that it is very persuasively put.

It is all tho more interesting because it occurs in a proclamation which Henry VIII. himself rovisod for tho press, tho original draft of the greater part of it being preserved among tho Cotton MSS. in the British Museum, and showing interliuear additions and corrections in tho King's own hand. As another instance of controversial ingenuity of tho baser kind wo may take a proclamation of June, 1535, which begins by condemning a sermon of tho lately martyred Bishop Fisher, and ends by reciting that tho King had been informed Divers and sundry light persons called Pardoners go dayly abrodo publishing to his pooplo divers Indulgences and Pardons corruptly and decoitfully opteynod of tho Byshopa of Rome, and by colour thereof exact and gather great sumtnes of money," being "confederate" also "with tho great erraunt thovos," and acting as their spies. In futuro theso rascals woro to bo punished under the Act provided for valiant beggers and vagaboundes," and tho most conservative Churchman in England was probably willing to acquiesce in their fate.

But to link together the condemnation of theso rogues and that of Bishop Fishor in a siuglo proclamation, as if both were tho outcomo of tho same ovils, was certainly a triumph of insolent ingenuity. After quoting those unfavourable examples of argumentative proclamations it is only fair to set besido them an instanco of another kind, and wo may take this from a proclamation issued in February, 1539, in further explanation of some of the orders given in that of tho previous November, from which we have quoted the paragraph about Becket. Tho King had there commanded tho retention of certain ceremonies, and he now directed that their true significance should be carefully and frequently Wherfore every Sonday it shall be declared, howe holy water is sprinkled, to put us in remembrance of our baptisme, and of the bloudof Christ, sprinkled for ouro redemption upon the crosse And that tho tryvyngo of holy breado is, to put us in remembraunce of unitie, that all Christen men be one mysticall body of Christe, as the breaddo is made of many graynes, and to put us also in remembraunce of tho IIowsoll, whiche in the begynnyngoof Christis churche men dydoftener receyvethan they use nowo to doo. On Candelmas Daye it shall be declared, that tho bearynge of Candels is done in the inemorio of Christe, tho spirituall lyghte of whom Simeon dyd prophecye, as it is reddo in the churche that daye. "On Ashewenesday it shall bo declared, that these ashes be gyvon, to put every Christen man in remembraunce of penaunce at the begynnynge of Lent, and that ho is butertho and asshes.

"On Palmeaonday it shall be declared, that bearynge of palmes renueth tho memorio of tho receivynge of Christe in iyke manor into Jerusalem before his deathe. "On Good Friday it shall be declared, howe Crepynge of the Cros30 sygnyfieth an humblyngo of oure selfe to Christe, before the Crosse, and tho kyssynge of it a momorie of our redemption, mado upon tho crosse. And at fouro tymes in the yere at the lesto to declare the signification of the other eeremonyes. "And so it shal be well nnderstanden and knowen that neyther holy breade, nor holy water, candels, bowes nor ashes halowed, or crepynge and kyssynge the crosse, bo the workers or workes of our salvation, but onely be as outwarde signes and tokens, wherby we remembre Christe and his doctrine, his workes and his passion, from whens all good Christen men receyve salvation." Even those who most approve the subsequent abolition of these ceremonies will own that this exposition of their spiritual meaning could hardly be bettered, and if tho King had as great a share in it as in that of the previous November, this proclamation must certainly be reckoned to his credit. Of his regulation of other ecclesiastical matters it would bo easy, if space permitted, to quote an abundance of instances from these interesting documents.

In February, 1535, we find him, "as supreme heed under God of the Church of Englande," enforcing the decision of certain arbitrators that London householders should pay lGid. tithe for every 10s. of house-rent. In July, 1541, there is a very curious proclamation on saints' days. The occurrence of these in the law terms or harvest-time interrupted business, and in a previous proclamation, not preserved, the feasts of St.

Luke, St. Mark, and St. Mary Magdalene had been swept away for this reason. Theso were now restored, with the provision that St. Mark's Day, which by a strange custom in some parts of the country had been observed as a fast, should everywhere be kept as a feast.

By an equally strange freak, illustrative of the uncertainty which must have-beset many good souls in theso cruol the fast on the evo of St. jfjaureuce had in somo places been observed, though his feast had been abrogated. This, it was now explained, was uot the Kiug's intention. Fast and feast woro to disappear together. Lastly, there is this clause, whioh orders the abolitiou of various picturesque ceremonies, very interesting to "And whero-as heretofore dyvers and many superstitious and ohyldishe observations have be used, and yet to this day are observed and kopte in many and sundrie parties of this realme, as uppon Saynt Nycolas, 8aynt Catheryn, Saynt Clement, the Holy Ihnocentes, and suohe lyke, children be ktraungely decked and npparayled to counterfayte priestos, byshoppes and women, and so bo leddo with songes and daunces from bouse to house, blessyng the people ana gathering of money i and boyes do synge masse, and preaolie inthbpulpet, with suohe other unsyttynge and inconvenient usages, rather to the derysyon than to any true glory of God, or honor of his saynctes, tho Kynges Maiestio, therfore, myndynge nothynge so moche as to avance the true glory of God, without vayne superstition, wylleth and eoinmaundeth, that from hensforthe all suche superstitious observations be left and clorely extinguished thorow out all this his realme, and dominions, forasmoche as the same do resemble rathor tho unlawfull snporstitum of gentilitio, than the pure and Bynoere religion of Christ." There is no need to enumerate here tho various proclamations of Henry VIII.

for tho suppression of heretical books, nor to speak of that curious series laying down what should or should not bo eaten in Lout, which, with half-apologotio references to the need for encouraging tho trado in fish, was continued to the time of tho Commonwealth, and revived for a year or two under Charles II. Nor is there space left to say much of tho proclamations of Edward VI. and Mary, though the recont lamentablo outbreak of controversy tempts an allusion to that issued in tho first year of Edward's reign against tho unrovoront disputors aud talkers of tho Saoramout of tho Body and Blood of Christ, commonly called the Sacrament of the Aultar." Mary's exhortation to all her lovyngo subjeotes, to ly vo together in quiet sorto aud Christian charitio, leavyngo thoso no we foundo devolysho tonnes of Papyste or Herotiquo aud suche lyko," was only a rovival of a proclamation of her father's, yet it also is not without its applicability to our own day. But enough has already boon said to indicate tho great interest of theso little-studied dooumenfcs. Under James as was not unnatural', the Commons protested against tho froquent use of proclamations to ovor-rido tho statute law and create penalties for offoncos which it did not recognise Proclamations were essentially a Tudor thoir importance from that exaltation of tho porsonal authority of tho monarch which was tho main artiolo of tho Tudor creed.

But with all their faults tho Tudors woro keenly anxious to keep in touoh with their peoplo, and tho proclamations to which I havo drawn attention scorn to mo oxcellont oxamplosboth of thoir determination to have their own way and their desire to persuade their subjects that this way was also the host. A. W. POLLAUD. REVIEWS.

Tho Irish Liber lfymnorum. Rditetl from tho with Translations, Notes, and (jlosnnry. By J. H. BKHNAUD, D.D., Fellow of Trinity College, and Arcl.ibi.shop King's Lecturer in Divinity in tho University of Dublin, and R.

ATKINSON, LL.D., Professor of Sanskrit in tho University of Dublin. Two Vols. Harrison and SOIIH. Tho Honry Bradshaw Socioty lately reproduced oiu remarkable monument of tho early Celtic Church in tho Bangor has also given its mombors an edition of tho Martyrology of Gorman." It has now issuod a complote and most careful edition of another of the chief remaining relics of the Celtic Church beforo the Norman invasion of Ireland. Tho lato Dr.

J. H. Todd had begun to edit tho Liher llymwrum for tho Irish Archieological and Celtic Socioty, and before his death had issued two parts, in 1855 and J8G9, including oighteen pieces, accompanied by a learned and rather overwhelming series of notes. The present editors have taken aB their basis the same MS. (T) that he i.e., an eleventh-century MS.

which has boen in tho library of Trinity College, Dublin, sinco tho middle of tho seventeenth century, und is now numbered 4 2. They havo also been able to uso another MS. of the olovonth century (F), which, in 1(530, was in the Franciscan monastery at Donegal, shortly afterwards at Louvain, aud thou at St. Isidore at Rome, until it was returned to Ireland in 1872, where it is now in tho Franciscan monastery at Merchants' Quay, Dublin. Theso two MSS.

differ entirely in arrangement, but in thoir contents thoy are suflksiontly allied to bo URod together to form the text of tho present edition being first printed in its outiroty, and then tho additional pieces of F. Two phototypes given at the. end of Dr. Bernard's introduction indicate the amount of labour which has been spout (somotinics iu vain) in deciphering the prefaces and glosses and notes, tho text of tho hymns being as a rulo easy to read. Tho editors are jointly responsible for the Latin texts from and the fourteenth- century MS.

known as the Leabhar Breac, or Speckled Book, in the Royal Irish Academy Library at Dublin; Dr. Atkinson for the texts and translations of tho Irish hymns and tho accompanying glossaries, also for a dissertation on tho metrical systems of tho hymnB in the Liber llymnorum; Dr. Bernard tor tho rest. Dr. Bernard has succeeded iu obtaining information regarding a considerable number of MSS.

which contain copies of some of these hymns, the only MS. which ho knew but was unable ta control being, rather curiously, in the British Museum. The descriptions of tho MSS. might have been mado a little fuller: e.g., at p. iu describing it would have been better to The Palatine collection has been at the Vatican sinco 1023, previously it formed part of the University Library at Heidelberg in describing This isa MS.

(mec. ix.) before 1313 and after 1807 iu tho Dombibliothek at Cologne; between theso dates it was at under read "in tho Hof-uud Staatsbibliothek does not possess a at Munich." The Southampton Psalter p. xx.) is more fully described at IL, pp. 239, 240. The Saltair na Rann is frequently referred to without any explanation of what it is.

It should have been slated at p. a24, that it was part of the Bodleian Rawlinson B. 502, and in a hand apparently of the twelfth century. One MS. of some importance did net came under Dr..