The fyrst boke of the introduction of knowledge made by Andrew Borde, of physycke doctor : A compendyous regyment; or, A dyetary of helth made in Mountpyllier / compyled by Andrewe Boorde, of physycke doctour. Barnes in the defence of the berde: a treatyse made, answerynge the treatyse of Doctor Borde upon berdes / edited, with a life of Andrew Boorde, and large extracts from his Brevyary, by F.J. Furnivall.

  • Andrew Boorde
Date:
1870
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The fyrst boke of the introduction of knowledge made by Andrew Borde, of physycke doctor : A compendyous regyment; or, A dyetary of helth made in Mountpyllier / compyled by Andrewe Boorde, of physycke doctour. Barnes in the defence of the berde: a treatyse made, answerynge the treatyse of Doctor Borde upon berdes / edited, with a life of Andrew Boorde, and large extracts from his Brevyary, by F.J. Furnivall. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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    affects to find the cause of these tales in a meeting of certain Com- missioners appointed by Henry VIII. “At a last1 holden at Westliam, October 3rd, 24 Henry VIII, for the purpose of preventing unauthorized persons * from setting nettes, pottes, or innyances,’ or any wise taking fish within the privileges of the marsh of Pevensey, the king’s commission was directed to John, prior of Lewes; Richard, abbot of Begeham; John, prior of Mychillym ; Thomas, Lord Dacre ; and others. “ Dr Borde (the original Merry Andrew) founds his Tales of the Wise Men of Gotham upon the proceedings of this meeting—Gotham2 being the property of Lord Dacre, and near his residence [at Herst- monceux Castle.]—Horsfield’s History of Lewes, vol. i, p. 239, note ; no authority cited —quoted by M. A. Lower, in Sussex Arch. Coll. vi. 207. Anthony a Wood in his Athence Oxonienses, of which the first edition was published in 1691-2, over 140 years after Boorde’s death, says at p. 172, vol. i., ed. Bliss, that Boorde wrote the Merie Tales: “ The merry Tales of the mad Men of Gotham. Printed at Lon- don in the time of K. Hen. 8; in whose reign and after, it was accounted a book full of wit and mirth by scholars and gentlemen. Afterwards, being often printed, is now sold only on the stalls of ballad singers. (An edition printed in 12mo. Lond. 1630, in the Bodleian, 8vo. L. 79. Art. ‘Gathered together by A. B. of physieke doctor.’)” Those who contend for Boorde’s authorship of this book are obliged to admit that the greater part of its allusions do not suit the Gotham in Sussex,3 but do suit the Gotham in Nottinghamshire, ex- cept in three cases, where a Mayor, nearness to the sea, and putting 1 “ Last, in the marshes of Kent [and Sussex] is a court held by the twenty-four jurats, and summoned by the bailiff ; wherein orders are made to lay and levy taxes, impose penalties, &c., for the preservation of the said marshes.” Jacob's Law Diet.—Lower, ib. 2 Gotham still possesses manorial rights. Gotham marsh is a well-known spot in the parish of Westham, adjacent to Pevensey ; but the Manor-house lies near Magham Down in the parish of Hailsham.—Lower, ib. 3 The manor of Gotham is the property of Lord Dacre, and near his residence, Herstmonceux Castle. The manor-house lies near Magham Down, in the parish of Hailsham.—Sussex Arch. Coll. vi. 206-7. Lower. Sussex Arch. Coll. vi. 208. “ In the edition of Mr Halliwell (which exhibits satisfactory evidence of some interpolating hand having intro- duced local names and circumstances, for the purpose of accommodating the anecdotes to the Nottinghamshire village) there are several jests which are still current as belonging to Sussex.”