Volume 2

Bibliographical notes on histories of inventions and books of secrets : Six papers read to the Archæological society of Glasgow April 1882-January 1888 / by John Ferguson.

  • John Ferguson
Date:
1895-1915
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Bibliographical notes on histories of inventions and books of secrets : Six papers read to the Archæological society of Glasgow April 1882-January 1888 / by John Ferguson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    224/408 (page 16)
    and for the Early English Text Society, 1867, 8°. In drawing up a notice of the author, Mr. Wheatley had to fall back upon the above sketch by Wood, to which he said he was unable to add anything. It has also been followed by Jocher,* * * § Zedler,f and the Rev. Ronald Bayne,{ who, however, has put 19 Jan. 1557 as the date of Levens’ probationer-fellowship, instead of 18, and simply stated that he was made perpetual fellow in Jan. 1559, instead of 19 Jan. This is a book of importance for the study of English, as it is a sort of rhyming dictionary and thesaurus, and affords a clue to the pronunciation of the language in the sixteenth century. But this subject does not come within the scope of the present research. 25. What entitles Levens to a place in the present list is his treatise on medicine, or rather his collection of medical receipts. The editions of this book are those already enumerated :§ 1587, 1596, 1608, 1632, 1644, 1654, 1664, but it is possible that this list is not complete, and I can believe that there may have been more than one edition between 1608 and 1632, and others subsequent to 1664. The book had thus a long and apparently successful career and must have proved useful to a number of people. Respecting the editions the following notes may be offered. 26. 1587. This is the earliest edition mentioned by Wood, and it is probably the first. The title is given by him as above. It is not in the British Museum, and I have not seen a copy elsewhere. Possibly it contains a preface or dedication which would throw light on the first publication of the book. According to Wood it is in quarto, and presumably it is printed in black letter. [See “ Addenda,” § 26.] *J6cher, Allgemeines Gelehrttn-Lexicon, 1750, II., col. 2403. t Zedler, Grosses Universal-Lexicon, Halle und Leipzig, 1738, XVII., col. 606. \ Dictionary of National Biography, 1893, XXXIII., pp. 136-137. § These, I find, are all quoted by Lowndes (The Bibliographer's Manual, ed. Bohn, i860, Part V., p. 1349), except that of 1664. He mentions the edition of 1654 twice, adding: “ with a doubtful portrait of Levens, with an urinal by J. C(hantry).” I have not confirmed this statement, and am at a loss to say whether the repetition of 1654 is a misprint for 1664 or not. If the latter be meant there is no notice by Billings of a portrait in that edition.