15. Latin Translation by Queen Elizabeth, while Princess, of an Italian sermon by Bern. Ochini, De Christo; written entirely by herself, and sent as a New-year's gift to her brother Edward VI[383].
It forms a small 8vo. volume of thirty-six pages, on vellum, and was given to the Library by J. Bowle, of Idmerston, Aug. 15, 1765. The following dedication (hitherto unprinted) is prefixed by the Princess:—
'Augustissimo et serenissimo Regi Edvardo Sexto. Si aliquid hoc tempore haberem (Serenissime Rex) quod mihi ad dandum esset accommodatum, & Maiestati tuæ congruens ad accipiendum, equidem de hac re vehementer lætarer. Tua Maiestas res magnas & excellentes meretur, et mea facultas exigua tantum suppeditare potest, sed quamvis facultate possim minima, tamen animo tibi maxima prestare cupio, & quum ab aliis opibus superer, a nemine amore & benevolentia vincor. Ita iubet natura, authoritas tua commouet, & bonitas me hortatur, ut cum princeps meus sis te officio obseruem, & cum frater meus sis vnicus & amantissimus, intimo amore afficiam. Ecce autem pro huius noui anni felici auspicio, & observantiæ meæ testimonio, offero M. T. breuem istam Bernardi Ochini orationem, ab eo Italicè primum scriptam, & a me in latinum sermonem conuersum. Argumentum
quum de Christo sit, bene conuenire tibi potest, qui quotidie Christum discis, & post eum in terris proximum locum & dignitatem habes. Tractatio ita pia est & docta, ut lectio non possit non esse vtilis et fructuosa. Et si nihil aliud commendaret opus, authoritas scriptoris ornaret satis, qui propter religionem et Christum patria expulsus, cogitur in locis peregrinis & inter ignotos homines vitam traducere. Si quicquam in eo mediocre sit, mea translatio est, quæ profecto talis non est qualis esse debet, sed qualis a me effici posset. At istarum rerum omnium M. tua inter legendum iudex sit, cui ego hunc meum laborem commendo, & vna meipsam etiam dedico, Deumque precor vt M. tua multos nouos & felices annos videat & lucris ac pietate perpetuo crescat. Enfeldiæ, 30 Decembris.
'Maiestatis tuæ,
'humill. soror,
'& serua,
'Elizabeta.'
16. A Persian treatise, in prose and verse, on ethics and education, entitled, Beharistan, or, The Season of Spring; by Nurruddin Abdurrahman, surnamed Djami.
The MS. was written at Lahore, for the Emperor of Hindustan, A.D. 1575, by Muhammed Hussein, a famous scribe, who was called the Pen of Gold; and illustrated by sixteen painters. Its modern velvet binding is adorned with gold corners and bosses; and a bag in which it was kept lies beside it. From the collection of Sir Gore Ouseley.
17. Evangeliarium, MS. in folio; of the tenth century.
A fine MS., which formerly belonged to the abbey of St. Faron, near Meaux; bought at the sale of M. Abel-Remusat's library in 1833, by Mr. Payne, and sold to Douce, apparently for the sum of £31 10s. On the cover is an ivory diptych; in the centre, a figure of our Blessed Lord treading on 'the lion and adder, the young lion and dragon;' around, twelve scenes from His life and miracles.
18. Ivory triptych eleven inches high; North Italian work, of the fifteenth century.