At the end of the book on Heraldry the printer has put the following—“Here endeth the book of Blasing of Arms translated and compiled together at Seynt Albons.” Here we have the printer’s own statement as to the origin of his text, and doubtless this, as well as the treatise on Hawking, were made up or “compiled” from more than one manuscript in French. Haslewood gives a list of such as are in the British Museum, in several of which portions of the printed work are contained. Works on Hunting and Hawking were not uncommon in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and are still found in all large collections of manuscripts. There were several in the libraries of the Dukes of Burgundy in the fifteenth century, and many are still extant in the national collections of England and France.
The other tractates in the volume have an origin very similar to that of the Book of Hunting. The Book of Hawking is an evident compilation from several manuscripts, which accounts perhaps for its deficiency in arrangement and want of continuity. The Book of Coat Armour also has two distinct sources in contemporary works, one of which was the “De Officio Militari” of Nicholas Upton. From this the schoolmaster copied Book IV. almost word for word, supplementing it from “The Book of the Lineage of Coat Armour,” as stated already. The only other literary work which can be attributed to our printer is the extensive compilation known as the St. Albans’ Chronicle or the Fructus Temporum. But neither in the Chronicle, where he simply combined two histories into one, nor in the Book of St. Albans, which is also a compilation, does the schoolmaster show any literary ability above the average of scholars of his period.
As specimens of the schoolmaster’s powers of composition we annex the following, the originals of which can be seen in the ensuing facsimile pages:—
Prologue to the Book of Hawking.
“In so much that gentlemen and honest persons have great delight in Hawking, and desire to have the manner to take hawks: and also how and in what wise they should guide them ordinately: and to know the gentle terms in communing of their hawks: and to understand their sicknesses and infirmities, and to know medicines for them according, and the many notable terms that be used in hawking both of their hawks and of the fowls that their hawks shall slay. Therefore this book following in a due form shows very knowledge of such pleasure to gentlemen and persons disposed to see it.”
Prologue to Mistress Barnes’ Compilation on Hunting.
“Likewise, as in the Book of Hawking aforesaid are written and noted the terms of pleasure belonging to gentlemen having delight therein, in the same manner this book following showeth to such gentle persons the manner of Hunting for all manner of beasts, whether they be beasts of Venery, or of Chace, or Rascal. And also it showeth all the terms convenient as well to the hounds as to the beasts aforesaid. And in certain there be many diverse of them as it is declared in the book following.”
Prologue to the Book of Coat Armour.
“Here in this book following is determined the lineage of Coat Armours: and how gentlemen shall be known from ungentle men, and how bondage began first in angel and after succeeded in man kind, as it is here showed in process, both in the childer of Adam and also of Noe, and how Noe divided the world in three parts to his three sons. Also there be showed the nine colours in Arms figured by the nine orders of Angels, and it is showed by the foresaid colours which be worthy and which be royal; and of regalities which be noble and which be excellent. And there be here the vertues of Chivalry, and many other notable and famous things, to the pleasure of noble persons shall be showed, as the works following witnesses, whosoever liketh to see them and read them, which were too long now to rehearse. And after these notable things aforesaid followeth the Blasing of all manner Arms in Latin, French, and English.”
So wrote the schoolmaster. Let us now see what kind of book this is typographically.