See Wood’s Ath. Oxon., ii. 138. The best account of this work will be extracts from the Epistle dedicatory. John Harmar the translator was in this year Proctor, Regius professor of Greek and Fellow of New College. He says, “I was requested, right honorable, by manie of my friends to emploie the time of this last vacation of mine from my publique readinges in the Vniuersitie, in the translating of Master Bezaes Sermons vpon the Canticle of Canticles, which I had a little before receaued from the Francfurt mart in French, into our vulgare and Mother tongue.” The patronage of Lord Dudley is acknowledged and details of the translator’s life are given, as that he attended Beza’s lectures and sermons at Geneva. The work translated was no doubt Beza’s “Sermons sur les trois premiers chapitres du Cantique des cantiques de Salomon,” Genève, Jehan le Preux, 1586, 8o (Brunet).
3. Case, John. “‘Thesaurus oeconomiae, seu commentarius oeconomica Aristotelis. Authore Johanne Caso.’ Again 1598. Quarto.”
So Herbert’s Ames, iii. 1402, after Ames: but perhaps an error for 1597.
4. Legatus. DE LEGATO ET ABSOLV-|TO PRINCIPE PERDV-|ELLIONIS REO. | [device.]
Impr. 10: 1587: (eight) 12o: pp. [16], sign. A8: p. (11) beg. su fortuito: Pica Italic. Contents:—p. (1) title: (3–16) the treatise.
This anonymous treatise is a formal and precise legal argument on the question “Utrum legatus alicuius principis absoluti vel ipse princeps absolutus morte sit afficiendus, si in aliena republica, contra vitam principis vel salutem totius reipublicae, nefariam coniurationem fuerint machinati.” It was intended to support Queen Elizabeth in her resolution to execute Mary Queen of Scots, and seems to have been written after 4 Dec. 1586 (p. 13) and before the execution 8 Feb. 1587: but there is no clue to the author.
5. [Penry, John.] A TREATISE | CONTAINING | THE AEQVITY OF | AN HVMBLE SVPPLI-|CATION WHICH IS TO BE | EXHIBITED VNTO HIR | GRACIOVS MAIESTY AND | this high Court of Parliament | in the behalfe of the Countrey of | Wales, that some order may | be taken for the preaching of | the Gospell among those | people. | Wherein also is set downe as much of the | estate of our people as without offence | could be made known, to the end that | our case (if it please God) may be piti-|ed by them who are not of this assem-|bly, and so they also may be driuen to | labour on our behalfe. |
Impr. 6: 1587: (eights) 16o: pp. 62 + [2]: p. 11 beg. The Necessity: Long Primer Roman. Contents:—p. 1, title: 3–10, “To al that mourn in Sion ...”: 11–62, the work: (1) “To the reader” explanation and erratum.
The author’s name nowhere occurs, but there can be but little doubt that the volume was written by John Penry of St. Alban hall, Oxford (B.A. 1586), who is conspicuous in the Marprelate controversy and who published An exhortation vnto the Gouernours and people of Wales, to labour earnestly to haue the preaching of the Gospell planted among them (n. pl. or d., and n. pl. 1588): and also A View of ... publike wants & disorders ... in the service of God ... within Wales, n. pl. 1588. The author says, p. 63, “Some rumor of the speedy dissolution of the Parliament enforced me from the 32 Pag. or there abouts (so much being already vnder the presse) to cut off more of the booke by two parts than is now in the whole.” Parliament sat in 1586 from 28 Oct. to 2 Dec. and not during 1587. At pp. 53–4 Penry alludes to the state of the Universities. Wood does not know of this work, and the best account of the author is in Cooper’s Athenæ Cantabr., ii. 154.
6. Prime, John. AN | EXPOSITION, | AND OBSERVATI-|ONS VPON SAINT | PAUL TO THE GALA-|THIANS, TOGETHER | with incident Qæstions de-|bated, and Motives re-|moued, by | IOHN PRIME. | [woodcut.]