Shakespeare's environment

by C. C. Stopes

But in support of the natural opinion that the clergy would have books, we have at least one will, one inventory, and one list of prices of the books of a curate in the very parish of Stratford—that of Bishopton. There may have been more books, worn and valueless, but we are told the names of those in good enough condition to have some marketable price. The Rev. John Marshall, curate of Bishopton, died, not young, in the fourth year of James I (1607). He left by will to his kinsman Francis Jeccoxe “Babington upon Genesis”; to Richard his son “Martin Luther upon 1st and 2nd epistle of St. Peter”; to John Jeccoxe, “my godsonne, my boke called ‘The Image of God.’”

In the Inquisition of his goods taken 10th January 1606-7, by Abraham Sturley, Ralfe Lorde, Francis Ainge, William Ainge, and Thomas Cale, we find that some of these, or all of them, knew enough about books to affix a contemporary saleable value, which, though it seems small to us, must be reckoned according to the money rates of the time. As their inventory has not been printed, and as it gives a fair illustration of the class of libraries owned by the minor clergy, it seems worth giving in extenso. It will be seen that it contains various irregularities and contractions:

Bookes.

The Apologie of Thomas Moore, 6d. Palengenius Englishe, 4d. A Latine Grammar, 6d. Lʳ Evans, Dictionary, 3d. Mr. Latimer’s Sermons, 12d. D. Erasmus, Method Theologie, 3d. Sententiæ Pueriles, 1d. Mr. Latimer’s Supplication, 6d. The Voiage of the Wandering Knight, 2d. An epitome of common Prayer, 6d. The Testament and Psalmes, 16d. Evagatrium Latine, 6d. A newe postill, 18d. An Exposition of the whole booke of Psalmes, 2s. 6d. Arsatius Shafer euarnes Evangelica, 8d. Nich. Hemingius, postallæ Evangel, 2s. H. Holland, Aphorisms, 6d. An old Latine Grammar, 3d. Calvin’s Harmony, English, 4d. Stockwood’s Greek Grammar, 12d. Roger Ascham’s Schoolmaster, 10d. Nowell’s Catechisme, 6d. Letters in Englishe, 6d. A breife of prair by the Kinge, 2d. A breife of Calvin’s Institutions, 16d. A Latin Bible, 16d. Accidentia Stanbrigiana, 8d. Parte of H. Smith’s Sermons, 12d. D. Sutclife’s Chalenge, 12d. Aretius in evangl. Mar., 12d. G. Gifford on Witches, 2d. A Catechisme, 1d. Calvin’s Institutions Lat., 4s. J. Piscator in Epistol, 2s. Stockwood’s Grammar, 6d. B.B. Canons, 6d. Hyperius in Epist., 6d. Ovid de Tristibus, 4d. Aretius in Math., 2s. 6d. Enchiridion Alexd. Ariostis, 4d. John Dodde. Robert, Clever, Commands, 12d. Piscator in epistoli Petri, &c., 20d. Lupton’s perswasion from papistry, 16d. D. Westfaling’s Sermons, 12d. B. Babington’s Commands, 16d. Northbrook’s Pore man’s Garden, 12d. Piscator in Matheu, 12d. Testament Vet., 4d. ... ts Vocabular Vet., 6d. B. Babington on Genes given away by will. A booke of Statutes, 4d. The plaine man’s pathway to heven, 12d. Epitheta Jh. Rinij, 12d. D. Sparkes & D. Sed. Catechisme, 10d. D. Foulki revelation, 2s. The Course of Christianity, 6d. Common praier Lat., 16d. Heilbourner in Epistle ad Timoth., 6d. Pasquin’s Trance, 6d. Hemigs. ad Hæbros, 12d. Calvin upon St. John, 6d. Palengenius Lat., 8d. An old praier-booke with a Kalendar, 4d. Joh. Calfled, the cros, 12d. Calvin upon ye commandments, 12d. John Bell, Pope’s Funerall, 12d. Eras. Colloquiū., 10d. Virgill, 12d. Terents, 8d. Ed. Bulkler’s vetuste Testimento, 8d. Enchiridion Militis Christ., 4d. Robert Crowle’s discourse, 4d. Constitutiones, 4d. Terra florid., pamphlet, 1d. Eras. cap. Fabor, &c., 8d. Leonard Cutman de ægrot. consolues, 6d. Erasmi colloquia, old, 4d. B. Babington’s Lords Praier, 16d. Homilia de Haimonis, 8d. Testamentum Lat. Vetus, 6d. Pars erat Ciceronis, 10d. T. Offic. Engl., 6d. Besa, Testamentum Lat., 18d. Ursinus, Catechismus engl., 2s. 6d. Morall Philosophi Engl., 6d. Beuerley, English Meeter, 3d. Martin Luther, servū. arbitrum, 10d. Psalmi Lat., 6d. An old gramer, 4d. English psalms meter, 6d. Law precedents, 10d. Com. praier, Eng., 8d. Æsopi fabula, 3d. Ternts Lat., 8d. Castal, Dialog., 4d. Ciceronis Epistol. pars, 4d. Christian Instructions, old, Engl., 6d. Corderius, Colloquia, 4d. Precatio Dominica lat., 6d. Castalionis Dial. Lat., 8d. The anatomy of the minde, 8d. Lodo. Vives, 3d. Godlie privat praiers, &c., 8d. Æsop fabl., engl., old, 2d. Acolastus de filio et digo, 2d. Methods Hegindorph, 2d. D. Erasmus, instructio grammaticalis, 2d. A booke of praier specially appointed, 2d. Accidens and instructions, old, 2d. An old Dictionary or Lexicon, 1d. Tithes and oblations, 2d. A booke of religious discourses, popish,—. A pathway to reading, old, 1d. An old portice pars II. Testamentu. duod. patriarchr’., 2d. John Calvin’s sermons, 6d. Grammatica Hæbr., 4d. Joh. Leniceri grammatice Græc., 6d. Carvinge and Sewinge, 1d. B. Babington’s Sermons, 2d. Udall’s Hæbrew Gramer, 16d. Testamentu. Græc., 16d. A conference of the faith, and the some of religion, 3d. H. Smythe, benefit of contentacion, 2d. A solace, 2d. A Salve for a sicke man, 4d. A regiment of Health, 4d. Exposition of the Psalmes, 3d. Art of Anglinge, 2d. The Sacred doct. of Divinity, 2d. Six principles of religion, 2d. An a. b. c., 1d. John Parkins of a minister’s calling, 2d. Thaffinity of the faithfull, 1d. A schole-book, English and Latin, 1d. Aristotle’s problemes, English, 6d. Demtes Catechisme, 2d. Dⁿᵒ Fenner on the Lawe, 2d. Catechisme, Latine, 1d. Cæporius, Greeke Grammer, 10d. And. Pola. p’litiones, 8d. Liber Hæbreus, 8d. A sermon at the Tower, 1d. H. Smithe, Mar. Choice, 2d. A consolation of ye soule, 2d. Thenemy of Securitie, 8d. Canons, 1d. A tract of the Lord’s Supper, 2d. H. Smythe, prepative to marge., 1d. Good huswives closet, 2d. Epitheton tropor, 1d. Epistolar’ Ciceronis Libri 4to, 2d. Pa-t Err. Pateris, 1d. Stockwood’s Questions gra:, 2d. The Castell of Health, 6d. St. Peter’s Chaine, 4d. D. Barlow’s Sermons, 1d. Gramer, a pamphlet, 2d. A dreame of the De. and Dives, 1d. P’cationes Episc. Roffens., 1d. The sick man’s salve, 6d. A bible of Ralph Smythes, 5s. Virgill, Engl., old.... Hulett’s Dictionary, 2s. Marloret on Mathew, 4s. An English concordance, 4s. An old postill written on parchment.... Martin Bucer in Evangelium, 5s. Cap’s Dictionari, 6s. 8d. Junius, Apocalypse, 4d.

This list—fairly long in classics, divinity, and law for a country clergyman even of to-day—suggests that the Rev. John Marshall was a teacher as well as a preacher. It suggests also that he had long been a collector of books, and that he did not altogether despise the study of lighter literature. The duplicates suggest that he might be ready to lend his books. The list may help the bibliographer in regard to old editions. Vautrollier and Field had the monopoly of Calvin’s works. This library certainly helps the Shakespearean to realize the class of clergy among whom the poet lived, and of itself redeems his birthplace from the charge, so often brought against it, of being altogether “a bookless neighbourhood.”

Curiously enough, shortly after this the Chamberlain enters in his accounts, “For the carriage of books to London, 1s.” The town council were always very careful to have “a sufficient scholar from Oxford for the Usher’s place.” It may be well to add that one of Shakespeare’s sons-in-law was a great physician, the other a French scholar, and that the latter’s brother, George Quiney, usher and curate, was described as “of a good wit, expert in tongues, and very learned.” His fellow usher, Mr. John Trapp, afterwards head-master, “for his piety and learning second to none,” by overmuch study brought on a fit of melancholy, and he was rescued “from the jaws of death.” How could all these, and more, study without books?

“Athenæum,” 23rd February 1907.

VI
“MR. SHAXPERE, ONE BOOK,” 1595

The universal belief in the booklessness of Stratford-on-Avon in general, and the poet’s family in particular, makes it the more important to record any facts which tend to weaken that belief. A case came up more than once before the burgh court concerning some property claimed by two women as inheritance from their grandmother. “The names of the jurors in the cause of Margaret Younge v. Jone Perat, 20th July, 37 Elizabeth,” are given in the Miscellaneous Documents, Stratford-on-Avon, VII, 245 and 246, Apparently Jone Perat had already disposed of some of the property she held, which chiefly seemed to consist of articles of women’s clothing. But there were other articles also, and there were at least four books. At the foot of the statement is the note:

Mʳ Shaxpere, one book; Mʳ Barber, a coverlett, two daggers, the three bokes; Ursula Fylld, the apparell and the bedding clothes at Whitsontyde was twellmonth. Backe debts due to the partie defendant.