Theophania.—I send you a copy, verbatim et literatim, of the title-page of an old book in my possession, in the hope that some one of your correspondents may be able to furnish me with information respecting its author. I believe the work to be a very scarce one, having never seen or heard of any other copy than my own.
"Theophania; or severall Modern Histories Represented by way of Romance; and Politickly Discours'd upon: by an English Person of Quality.
"Stat. Theb,
Nec divinam Sydneida tenta
Séd longe sequere, & Vestigia semper adora.
"London, printed by T. Newcomb, for Thomas Heath and are to be sold at his Shop in Russel-street, near the Piazza of Covent Garden, 1655."
HENRY KERSLEY.
Ancient MS. Account of Britain.—I find the following note in Cooper's Thesaurus Linguæ Romanæ et Britannicæ, Impressum Londini, 1573, under the word Britannia:—
"About 30 yeares since it happend in Wilshire, at Juy church, about twoo miles from Salisbury, as men digged to make a foundation, they founde an hollowe stone covered with another stone, wherein they founde a booke, having in it little above xx leaves, (as they sayde) of verye thicke velume, wherein was some thing written. But when it was shewed to priestes and chanons, which were there, they would not read it. Wherefore after they had tossed it from one to another (by the meanes whereof it was torne) they did neglect and cast it aside. Long after, a piece thereof happened to come to my handes; which notwithstanding it was al to rent and defaced, I shewed to mayster Richarde Pace, then chiefe Secretarie to the kinges most Royall maiestie, whereof he exceedingly reioysed. But because it was partly rent, partly defaced and bloured with weate which had fallen on it, he could not find any one sentence perfite. Notwithstanding after long beholding, hee showed mee, it seemed that the sayde booke contayned some auncient monument of this Ile, and that he perceyved this word Prytania to bee put for Brytannia. But at that time he said no more to me."
Cooper's conjecture founded on this is that Britain is derived from the Greek word Prytania, which, according to Suidas, "doth," with a circumflexed aspiration, "signifie metalles, fayres, and markets." "Calling the place by that which came out of it, as one would say, hee went to market, when he goeth to Antwarpe," &c. Has this been noticed elsewhere?