ADVERSARIA

Printers' Couplets.

It may not perhaps be generally known that the early printers were accustomed to place devices or verses along with their names at the end of the books which they gave to the public. Vigneul-Marville, in his Mélanges d'Histoire et de Littérature, relates that he found the two following lines at the end of the "Decrees of Basle and Bourges," published under the title of "Pragmatic Sanction," with a Commentary by Côme Guymier,—Andre Brocard's Paris edition, 1507:—

"Stet liber hic, donec fluctus formica marinos

Ebibat et totum testudo perambulet orbem."

The printers, it would appear, not only introduced their own names into these verses, but also the names of the correctors of the press, as may be seen in the work entitled, Commentariis Andreæ de Ysernia super constitutionibus Siciliæ, printed by Sixtus Riffingerus at Naples in 1472:—

"Sixtus hoc impressit: sed bis tamen ante revisit

Egregius doctor Petrus Oliverius.

At tu quisque emis, lector studiose, libellum

Lætus emas; mendis nam caret istud opus."

G.J.K.

Charles Martel

Mr. Editor,—Perhaps the subjoined note, extracted from M. Collin de Plancy's Bibliothèque des Légendes, may not be without its value, as tending to correct an error into which, according to his account, modern historians have fallen respecting the origin of the surname "Martel," borne by the celebrated Charles Martel, son of Peppin of Herstal, Duke of Austrasia, by his Duchess Alphéide [²]:—

"It is surprising," he says, "that almost all our modern historians, whose profound researches have been so highly vaunted, have repeated the little tale of the Chronicle of St. Denis, which affirms that the surname of Martel was conferred on Charles for having hammered (martelé) the Saracens. Certain writers of the present day style him, in this sense, Karle-le-Marteau. The word martel, in the ancient Frank language, never bore such a signification, but was, on the contrary, merely an abbreviation of Martellus, Martin."[³]

From a legend on this subject given by M. de Plancy, it would appear that Charles received the second name, Martel, in honour of his patron saint St. Martin.

Not having at present an opportunity of consulting the works of our own modern writers on early French history, I am ignorant if they also have adopted the version given in the Chronicle of St. Denis. Mr. Ince, in his little work, Outlines of French History, states, that "he received the surname of Martel, or the Hammerer, from the force with which he hammered down the Saracens—martel being the name of a weapon which the ancient Franks used, much resembling a hammer,—and from his strokes falling numberless and effectual on the heads of his enemies." Query.—Which of the two is the more probable version? Perhaps some one of your numerous correspondents may be enabled to throw addition light on this disputed point.

G.J.K.

Footnote 2:[(return)]
This same Alphéide, or Alpaïde, as she was frequently called, though but scurvily treated by posterior historians, is honoured by contemporary chroniclers as the second wife of Peppin, uxor altera. See Frédégaire.

Footnote 3:[(return)]
Légendes de l'Histoire de France, par J. Collin de Plancy, p. 149. (notes.) Paris. Mellier Frères.