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a believer in "co-ed" bringing up boys & girls together for chapter 6 opens thus, "after a childe is come to 7 years of age, I hold it expedient, that he be taken from the company of women, saving - that he may have, one year or two at the most, - an aunciente and sadde matrone attending on him, which shall not have anye young woman in her company" --- and further on, he says, "the most sure counsaile is to withdraw him from al company of women". The worthy Knight might well spell sad - "sadde" -.
On the title page of this vol., in a fine neat hand, is the autograph - signature of White Kennet (1660 - 1728) Bishop, english historian, a good
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fighting polemic and are enthusiastic antiquarian, but to the people of this new Continent, he is probably of most interest, as the compiler of "Bibliotheca Americanae Primordia", an attempt and I think the first attempt towards laying the foundations of an American Library. In the case of many early American books (which have entirely disappeared) we have now no original reference, save in White Kennets pages. -
This copy of "the Govenour" has been in a Philadelphian collection, as is witnessed by its contained bookplate. I found it in Detroit.
When the library of the late Supt. of Methodist Missions (Dr Green) came to sale in Toronto, I was delighted
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to secure a second book entitled "A golden chaine", printed circa 1594, and just about the height of "the govenour", which also contained the signature of White Kennet, Bishop of Peterboro - The whirligig of time thus brings these old room mates - perhaps shelf-mates - together once again in Ontario, probably after much varied roaming.
Our next step in progression, brings us to a name that Lord Macauly said was odious in literary history, as is evident, for out of his surname we have coined an epithet for a knave, and out of his christian name a synonyme for the devil - Nicholas Macchiavelli.
The book is his Florentine History, translated into English
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by T. B. (Thomas Bedingfield), and printed in London in 1595. Heading the showily engraved title-page, in faint ink and old fashioned writing is the autograph of Philip Fairfax, probably the brother of Edward Fairfax the early translator of Tasso, and uncle of Sir Thomas, the royalist general so often opposed to Cromwell.
Also of Elizabethan interest is "A Conference about the next succession to the crowne of England: - by a Civil and a Temporal Lawyer - published by R. Doleman. Imprinted at N. with license, 1593. The object of this notorious book is to show, that, as good Queen Bess at her then age is likely to die without direct issue, the succession to her throne
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should - by legal right and common sense - come to Isabella the Infanta of Spain (a Norman Catholic princess), rather than to James of Scotland (a Protestant prince).
We we call to mind that the period is but five years after the attempted invasion by the Armada - that Phillip (its author) still expresses his design of attaching England to his domains & to the see of Rome - that, although the government is protestant the mass of the people naturally lean - (or are believed to lean) towards their old faith - that they at least have not been converted by act of parliament - - - it is - when we remember these then common facts, that we can understand the books politically disturbing influence, and realize why the Court did not welcome
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