pariæ ab origine mundi 1111 Tomis scribere constituerat, morte abreptus nihil ipse edidit præter I libros priores Zamora 1544. In Editione recentiori vero Medinensi 1553, quintus Liber Conspicitur additus."

It is no, where said, whether this fifth book is by the same author, but it appears to treat of the first entrance of the Romans into Spain under the command of Cneius Scipio.

The Marquis del Canipo who resided for so many years as ambassador from Spain to this country, was probably of the same family with the Historian.

CAXTON.

The Boke of Eneydos, compyled by Vyrgyle 1490.

THIS is a sort of prose abridgment of the Eneid, and the preface, as, indeed Ames observes, exhibits observable proofs of the fleeting fashions of our English tongue. It commences

thus:

After dyverse werkes made, translated, and achieved havyng noo werke in hand, I sittyng

in

in my studye where as lay many dyverse paunfettis and bookys, happened that to my hande cam a lytyl booke in Frenche which late was translated oute of Latyn by some noble Clerke of Frauce, &c. &c. and whon I had advised me in this sayde booke, I delybred and concluded to translate it into Englyshe, &c..

This circumstance and anecdote are here introduced to prepare the way for the following observation from Gawin Douglas.

Gawin Douglas, in his translation of the thirteen books of Virgil's Eneados, in the preface has these words on Caxton's faults, as he calls them:

"Thoch Wylliame Caxtoun had no compassioun of Virgill in that buk he prent in prois, clepand il Virgill in Eneados quhilk that he sayis of Frensche he did translait, it "has nathing ado therwith God wote, nor na mare like than the devil and Sainct Austin.” See Ames, Herbert's edition. Vol. 1. p. 70.

The History of Caxton's Portrait seems to be involved in some perplexity. On referring to Granger, vol. 1. p. 47, mention is made of one only with his cypher in old black capitals cut in wood for Ames's History of Printing. This is a most miserable performance.

In the British Museum is a book, which ap pears to have been purchased of the celebrated Mr. Bagford by Sir Hans Sloane, containing,

among other things, seven heads of the first printers of England, in Indian ink, and drawn by Faithorn, jun. probably for the said Mr. Bagford. Of these the first is William Caxton, and this is, in all probability, the original from which the head in Ames's History of Printing was taken, 2d edition by Herbert.

There is, however, another head of Caxton in Ames's first edition, and in Lewis's Life of Caxton, as different as possible from that abovementioned. In these two latter books, Caxton is represented as a Turk, with a turban and a long beard. It would be worth while for those who have leisure to prosecute the enquiry, to know from which picture of Caxton these two heads were severally taken. I am inclined to believe, that the head by Faithorn in Mr. Bagford's Collection, was taken from the original picture, which, as Caxton was a Citizen and Mercer, is probably possessed by one or other of the city companies.

The Mr. Bagford here alluded to, was so very singular a character, that a little farther notice of him will not, I presume, be unamusing.

"John Bagford, the Antiquary and great "collector of old English books, prints, &cc.

was born in London. He had been, in his

younger days, a shoemaker, afterwards a "bookseller, and lastly, for the many curiosities "with which he enriched the famous library of

" Dr.

"Dr. John Moore, Bishop of Ely, His Lordship got him admitted into the Charter House. "He was several times in Holland and in other

foreign parts, where he procured many valu"able old books, prints, &cc. some of which "he disposed of to the late Earl of Oxford, "who after his death, purchased all his col

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lections, papers, &cc. for his library. In 1707,

were published in the Philosophical Trans"actions, his Proposals for a General History of Printing. He died at Islington, a little before "six in the morning, May 15, 1716, aged 65 years, and was buried the Monday following "in the Church Yard belonging to the Charter "House. In 1728, a print was engraved of him, from a painting of Mr. Howard by George Vertue. See an account of his Entries, which was designed for a General History of Print"ing, in the Catalogue of the Harleian Col-. "lection of MSS. vol. ii. fol. London. 1759, "from No. 5892 to No. 5910. His мss. may "be of use to such as will take pains to extract good matter from a bad hand, and worse orthography. This may be easily forgiven to "his education, far from learned, and all his "improvements owing to the strength of genius, "seconded by unusual diligence and industry. "A number of his letters to Humphrey Wanley may be seen in the British Museum; and a

66

"large part of his collections in the public "library at Cambridge."

Nichols's Anecdotes of Bowyer, p. 505.

In page 612 is this addition:

Bagford's Collections are locked up in a large cubical deal box, and probably have never been opened since they have been at "Cambridge."

T. F.

It is worth remembering, that Bagford and Humphry Wanley were among the first Founders of the present Antiquarian Society.

EGYPTIAN MANUSCRIPT.

FOR the following account of the Coptic Manuscript, lately presented to the British Mu seum, I am indebted to my friend Mr. Combe.

This ancient Egyptian Manuscript on papyrus, was taken from a mummy at Thebes, and brought into England by William Hamilton, Esq. by whom it was presented to the British Museum.

The papyrus, before it was expanded in the manner in which it is now seen, was closely rolled up, the roll having a flattish appearance, as if it had been very considerably compressed on the sides.

3

The