"Ex officina nostra caleographa Parrhisiis pridie Kalendas Novembris anni hujus M. CCCCC quarti."
The volume was presented to the College library by Mr. Croker, as appears by a dono dedit in his handwriting, and by the following note in that of the learned Dr. Barrett:—
"This book, which formerly belonged to Mary Queen of Scots, was presented by James I. to Bishop Hall (fol. 90.), and presented to this library, July 26, 1800, by John Wilson Croker, F.C., A.B."
The presentation by James to the Bishop is thus recorded:—
"Hunk [sic] librum Jacobus rex dono dedit amico suo reverendo Doctori Hall."
These details may interest bibliographers, as I do not find any notice of this edition in Dibdin, or any other work within my reach[2] but the main object of my curiosity is the Latin epigram in the Queen's hand, and supposed (I suspect erroneously) to be her composition. The lines are:
"Sæpe meæ dixi 'tandem discede' puellæ—
In gremio sedit protinus illa meo;
Sæpe 'pudet' dixi; Lacrimis vix illa retentis
'Me miseram cur te,' dixit 'amare pudet?'"