"Whether this artist was apprentice to Mr. Caxton, as intimated by Mr. Lewis, is rather uncertain; nor can I see any reason for such a supposition of him any more than of W. de Worde, whom he styles his foreman or journeyman: perhaps these characters may be equally true of them both, at different periods of time. However this be, Pynson himself in his first edition of Chaucer, calls Caxton his worshipful master" whiche boke diligently ouirsen & duely examined by his pollitike reason and ouirsight of my worshipful master William Caxton" &c."

Mr. Ames intimates that our artist was in such esteem with the lady Margaret, King Hen. VII's mother, and other great personages, that he printed for them all his days; but this does not particularly appear.

He printed "The life of a Virgyn cally'd Petronylla, whom Erle Flaccus desired to his Wyf." 18mo.

"A very rare Poetical Tract, consisting only of three leaves, 18mo, and which at Townley's Sale in 1814, was sold for the very moderate sum of six guineas, or two guineas per leaf, to Messrs. Longman and Co."

Mr. Heber bought a copy at Horne Tooke's Sale in 1813, for the sum of six pounds, two shillings, and sixpence.

"Pynson was the first who introduced Roman letter to this country, and he was eminently successful in his publications, which consist chiefly of law books. He is suppossed to have died about 1529.

Psalmanaazaar intimates that this printer lived in the utmost familiarity and friendship with W. de Worde, and quite undisturbed by any matual emulation or rivalship in trade; the contrary rather appears by their works, for they are found frequently printing different editions of the same books, at or near the same time; not as partners, or the one's name taken out, and the other's inserted to a certain number of the same edition. He tells us indeed that they printed several year books together: perhaps they might be joined in the same privilege or licence for printing them.

"He was a man of eminence, a good antiquary, great promoter of the reformation, and in favour with King Henry VIII. lord Cromwell, archbishop Cranmer, &c. John Leland was of his acquaintance. Our learned Kentish antiquary John Twine calls him a German by nation, good man, and well learned, and a very faithful friend of his, whose kindness he had experienced in prosperity and adversity, and who, when he was set at liberty from his imprisonment in the Tower, took him into his house, situ squaloreque obsitum, and entertained him there till he could return to Canterbury, to his own house and family. John Stowe observes of him, that in the year 1549, the bones of the dead, in the Charnel house of St. Paul's, amounting to more than 1000 cart loads, were carried to Finsbury field, and the expence paid by him.. He spent 25 years in collecting materials for an universal cosmography of all nations, which though at his death he left undigested, he thereby laid the foundation of those chronicles, which afterwards were compiled by Ralph Holinshed, who frankly acknowledged so much in his dedication to lord Burghleigh. Those chronicles were published in 1577 by John Harrison his son in law; and again with large addi-.

tions, in 1587, by the said John Harrison, and others.

We are further informed by Edmund Howes, the continuer of Stow's Annals, that if Stow had lived but one year longer, he purposed to have put in print Reyne Woolfes chronicle, which he began and finished at the request of Dr. Whitgift, late archbishop of Canterbury; but being prevented by death, left the same in his study, orderly written, ready for the press; but it came to nothing.”

"He settled his printing-office in Paul's Church-yard, and set up the sign of the Brazen Serpent, which device he used to most of his books, though he sometimes used that of the tree of charity; his rebus you will see in the frontispiece."

The house, says Stowe, as I guess, he built from the ground, out of the old chapel, which he purchased of the king at the dissolution of monasteries, where on the same ground he had several other tenements, and afterward purchased several leases of the dean and chapter of St. Paul's. He followed his business of printing with great reputation for many years, and printed for archbishop Cranmer most of his pieces, and for others of great note. Henry Binneman was ɛervant to him, who afterwards proved a good printer, and used the same device of the Brazen Serpent; as also did John Shepperde, another of his apprentices.

"He was the first who had a patent for being a printer to the king in Latin, Greek and Hebrew; by which he was authorized to be his bookseller and stationer, and to print and publish all sorts of books in the said languages, as also Greek and Latin Grammars, although mixed with English; and likewise charts, maps, and such other things, which might be at any time useful and necessary," He printed,

"James Servingham Yates's, Castell of Courtesie, whereunto is adjoyned the Holde of Humilitie, with the Chariot of Chastitie thereunto annexed, 1582."

A Copy sold at the Sale of G. Steeven's, 1800, for £2 10s. And another at Saunders's Sale Room, 1818 for £23 10s.

John Bay, Baye, or Baie.

was born in St. Peter's parish, Dunwich, in Suffolk, to which he left a gift; as appears by the papers of the late Thomas Martin, Esq. of Paulsgrave, from Mr. Le Neve. He is supposed to have been descended from a good family, buried at Bradley-Parva, in that county. He bore for his arms, ermin, on a fess indented, two eaglets displayed; his crest, out of a ducal coronet, a demi eagle with wings expanded ermin. He first began printing a little above Holborn conduit; and about 1549 removed into Aldersgate, where he printed, and, for his greater convenience, according to Stow, built much on the wall of the city, towards St. Ann's church; he kept also, at the same time, several shops in different parts of the town, where his books were sold. He had a license in September, 1552, to print the Catechism, which K. Edw. vi. had caused to be set forth, both in Latin and in English but as Raynold Woulfe had a former privilege for all Latin books, he seems to have applied for redress; accordingly among Cecil's papers, published by the Rev. Mr. Hains in 1740, page 128, is this memorandum :→→→ Item, that were one Day, hath a priviledge for the cate

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chisme, and one Reyne Wolfe, who hath a former priviledge for Latyn Books they may joyne in printing of the sayd catechisme." However, it appears to have been determined that Wolfe should print it in Latin, and Day in English; for thus we find it printed; and Day in another license, dated 25 March, 1553, had privilege to print it only in English, with a brief of an A B C, thereunto annexed: Also, for the printing and reprinting all such works and books, devised and compiled by John (Ponet) now bishop of Winton, or by Tho. Beacon, professor of divinity; so that no such book, be in any wise repugnant to the holy scriptures, or proceedings in religion, and the laws of the realm."

He printed "The Whole Psalter translated into English Metre, which containeth an hundred and fifty Psalms."

It is so scarce, that Mr. Strype tells us he could never get sight of it; and Warton, in his "History of English Poetry," points it out as a great rarity, adding "It certainly would be deemed a fortunate acquisition to those capricious Students, who labour to collect a library of rarities."

"Its rarity is conjectured to arise from the circumstance of only a few copies having been given away to the nobility, by the Archbishop's wife Margaret, to whom Fuller, in his "Church History," has given a very high character."

Mr. Ames then continues to give a full account of all the eminent Printers from Julian Notary in 1498, and William Faques in 1500, down to William Aspley, and John Bailie, in 1600, with a general history of Printing from its origin to that period; this elaborate Work, with Mr. Herbert's additions form 1875 quarto pages, and Mr. Dibden's editon still enlarges it.

Mr. Herbert, after his labours in correcting and enlarging Ames's Typography, from a single volume, to three extensive ones, concludes his history of Printers, and Printing in England at page 1467, and in the following one, thus commences his history of