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doth Witlesey, the monk of Peterborough, call it in the 37th leaf of his book, saying, In provincia Lincolnicæ non sunt Hidæ terræ, sicut in aliis provinciis; sed pro hidis sunt carucatæ terræ, et tantum continent, quantum Hide, &c.

CAMDEN.

WILLIAM CAMDEN, the eminent English antiquary and historian, was born at Litchfield, in Staffordshire, in 1551; but his father, who was a painter-stainer, removing to London, he spent the first years of his education at Christ's Hospital, and afterwards at St. Paul's School. In 1566, he entered as servitor in Magdalene College, Oxford; though he afterwards removed to Broad-gate-Hall, now Pembroke College, and then to Christchurch, being patronised and even supported by Dr. Thornton, canon of Christ-church.

He quitted Oxford in 1571, and repaired for the present to London; but soon after travelled over the greater part of England. To quote his own words" Relicta academia, studio incitata satis magnam Angliæ partem fide ocu

latá obivi." On his return to college in 1575, he took the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Two years after, by the interest of dean Goodman, or as some say, of sir Philip Sidney, he was made second master of Westminster school, which he held till the resignation of Dr. Grant, whom he succeeded as head-master in 1592-3. Prior to this, however, he obtained the prebend of Ilfracomb, bestowed upon him by Dr. John Piers, bishop of Salisbury. In 1597, at the instance of sir Fulk Greville, he was created by queen Elizabeth, Clarenceaux, king at arms; and the day before was made Richmond Herald: as the being a herald is rendered by the constitution an indispensible pre-requisite to the office of king at arms. He died in 1623, in the 74th year of his age.

1. The first and greatest work of Camden is his Britannia; of which the full title isBritanniæ, sive Florentissimorum, Regnorum Anglia, Scotia, Hibernia, et Insularum adjacentium ex intimâ antiquitate, chorographica Descriptio. London, 1586, 8vo. i. e. "Britain, or a Chronological Description of the flourishing Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ire land, with the adjacent Islands, from the most remote antiquity." The work was much en

larged and improved in subsequent editions; a complete list of which I extract from Mr. Beloe's Anecdotes, recently published; and which may be depended upon (he says) as ac

curate.

"1. 1586, printed by R. Newbery, 12mo.

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"6. 1607, printed by G. Bishop, folio.

“7.1610,

folio.

"All the above-mentioned editions of Cam den were in Latin. The first edition in English was in 1610, and in folio.

"This was translated by the indefatigable Philemon Holland, who was supposed to have been assisted by Camden himself. Therefore,' observes Mr. Gough, 'great regard has been paid to his additions and explanations.' But what is very extraordinary, and indeed unaccountable, in an author of Mr. Gough's accuracy, he is, in the passage referred to, (Life Camden, p. 20.) called Philip Hol land.

A

"The eighth edition, in 1617, was a Latin abridgment by Lirizæus, in 12mo.

"9. 1637, folio, Philemon Holland's second edition. With this edition, says Mr. Gough, Holland has taken unwarrantable liberties. Mr. Wanley thinks that this edition was published after Holland's death.

10. 1639, a second edition of Lirizæus's abridgment, in 12mo.

"11. 1695, folio. This was the first edition

by bishop Gibson.

“12. 1722, 2 vol. folio.

“13. 1753, 2 vol. folio.

“14. 1772, 2 vol. folio.

“15. 1789, 2 vol.

"This was Mr. Gough's edition.

"The following memorandum from one of Hearne's Diaries, preserved in the Bodleian, forms no unimportant appendage to the above catalogue.

""There is in the Ashmolean Museum, amongst Mr. Ashmole's books, a very fair folio MS. handsomely bound, containing an English translation of Mr. Camden's Britannia, by Richard Knolles, the same that writ the History of the Turks. This book was found locked up in a box, in Mr. Camden's

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