him by the University of Cambridge in the year 1548. The date in the colophon of Peter Short, the printer, on the last leaf, is 1599.

On the title-page is a wood cut of Dee on his knees, a sheep, a wolf, and a many-headed human monster. Another edition of this tract was printed in 1604, 4to.

DEKKER, THOMAS. -The Double P P. A Papist in Armes. Bearing Ten severall Sheilds. Encountred by the Protestant. At Ten severall Weapons. A Iesuite marching before them. Cominùs & Eminùs. London, Imprinted by T. C. and are to be sold by John Hodgets &c. 1606. 4to. 22 leaves.

This tract by Dekker (for a presentation copy of it with his autograph is in existence) has little but its rarity to recommend it: it is a violent, and, as far as we can now understand the allusions, not a very witty attack upon the Catholics, provoked by the Gunpowder Plot of the year preceding its publication. It is of the same character, though not so amusing, as John Rhodes's " Answere to a Romish Rime," 1602, who was also the writer of a tract printed in 1606, called "A briefe Summe of the Treason intended against the King and State," &c.

After a dedication in verse, so constructed as to represent a column, “To all the Nobility, Clergy and Gentry of Great Brittaine, true Subjects to King James," Dekker commences with the following, which he calls "A Riddle on the double P P.:"

A. B. C. D. E. &c., the States of the land; as Archbishos, Bishops, Councellors,

Dukes, Earles, &c.

K. the King.

Q. the Queene.

R. Religion.

S. State.

T. Truth.

U. You all."

This (after the Picture of a Jesuite," "A Papist in Armes," and some other matter of a like kind) is succeeded on Sign. D. iiii. by "The Single P. A Riddle on the single P.," in the same form, but of course of a character directly opposed to "the Double P." The tract concludes upon Sign. F. 2, with "The Papist Encountered." There was another edition of it in the same year, with some immaterial variations.

DEKKER, THOMAS.-Newes from Hell; Brought by the Divells Carrier. Et me mihi perfide prodis? Tho: Dekker. London Printed by R. B. for W. Ferebrand &c. 1606. 4to. 31 leaves.

The origin of this tract was Thomas Nash's celebrated Supplication of Pierce Penniless, twice printed in 1592, and of which four other impressions came out prior to 1596. Dekker's work professes to be a reply to it, the running title being "The Divels Answere to Pierce Pennylesse." In an address "To the Reader," (which follows the dedication to Sir John Hamden, Knight), Dekker refers to another publication of a similar kind, by a writer whom he did not know, which had just made its appearance. This was called "The Returne of the Knight of the Post from Hell," which also bears date in 1606, and professes to have been written by an "intimate and near companion" of Nash, who died two years before it was published: it is in verse and prose, the former by no means contemptible, and resembling in many respects the style of Thomas Lodge. Dekker seems to have been in such haste to overtake it, that his tract was evidently printed by two, if not by three printers, although only one is mentioned on the title-page. It is entirely. prose, and seems to have been put together currente calamo, but it contains some curious temporary allusions and illustrations of manners.

DEKKER, THOMAS.-The Belman of London. Bringing to light the most notorious villanies that are now practised in the Kingdome. Profitable for Gentlemen, Lawyers, Merchants, Citizens, Farmers, Masters of Housholds, and all sortes of servants to marke, and delightfull for all men to Reade. Lege, Perlege, Relege. Printed at London for Nathaniel Butter. 1608. 4to. B. L. 34 leaves.

Dekker's name is not found to this tract, but, in what may be considered a second part of it, "Lanthorne and Candle-light," 1609, he recognizes "The Belman of London" as his production. Its popularity was extraordinary, for it was printed three times in the first year: the edition under consideration is the earliest, and has on the title-page the subsequent wood-cut of the Belman, with bell, lantern, and halbert, followed by his dog.

Such was the appearance of the "guardian of the night" in 1608, differing materially from the somewhat later representation of him in the "Cries of London" inserted on p. 76. On the title-page of "Lanthorne and CandleLight" he is represented in a night-cap, without his dog, and with a "brown bill" on his shoulder; and it is singular that, after the lapse of more than two hundred years, the very wood-cut from which the impression was made in 1609 should have been preserved, and used as a head-piece to a ballad printed in St. Giles's, in 1836.

"The Belman of London" is dedicated anonymously "to all those that either by office are sworne to punish, or in their owne love to vertue wish to have the disorders of the State amended." The greater part of the tract is borrowed totidem verbis from the "Caveat for Common Cursetors," (Vide HARMAN, in this Catalogue), but here and there curious additions are made applicable to the time, and the following affords a useful note to Shakespeare's "King Lear," the first edition of which came out in the year when "The Belman of London" was printed. Dekker is speaking of "Abraham-men," who pretended to be mad, and wandered about the country exactly in the way Edgar is represented to do:

"He calls himself by the name of poore Tom, and comming neere any body cries out Poore Tom is a-cold. Of these Abraham-men some be exceeding merry, and doe nothing but sing songs fashioned out of their own braines: some will dance, others will doe nothing but either laugh or weepe: others are dogged, and so sullen both in looke and speech, that spying but a small companie in a house they boldly and bluntly enter," &c.

When Isaac Reed quoted this passage in a note to "Gammer Gurton's Needle," (Dodsley's Old Plays, II. 4), he seems not to have known of any edition of "The Belman of London" prior to that of 1616: the fact that it came out in 1608 renders the above passage peculiarly applicable to Shakespeare's great tragedy.

S. Rowlands, in his "Martin Mark-all Beadle of Bridewell," accuses the unknown author of the "Belman of London" of stealing from Harman's book. "At last up starts an old Cacodemicall Academicke with his frize bonnet, and gives them al to know that this invective was set foorth, made and printed above fortie yeeres agoe, and being then called a Caveat for Cursitors is now newly printed and termed the Belman of London." This exposure roused the animosity of Dekker in his "Lanthorne and Candle-light.”

The allusions to temporary subjects are often curious, and the illustrations of manners very entertaining.

DEKKER, THOMAS.- The Dead Terme. Or Westminsters Complaint for long Vacations and short Termes. Written in manner of a Dialogue betweene the two Cityes of London and Westminster &c. By T. Dekker. London, Printed and are to be sold by John Hodgets &c. 1608. B. L. 4to. 27 leaves. The contents are at the back of the title-page, followed by a dedication to Sir John Harington, referring to his translation of Ariosto, first printed in 1591, and praying him to "vouchsafe to view the labours of so dull a pen." It must be owned that this is one of Dekker's least humorous and amusing pieces. We have first "Westminster's speech to London," then "London's aunswere to Westminster," "Paule's Steeple's complaint," and finally "by what names London from time to time hath bin called, and how it came to bee divided into Wardes." The whole is prose, and very much derived from the old Chroniclers.

Dekker, Thomas. - The Guls Horne-booke: Stultorum plena sunt omnia. Al Savio meza parola Basta. By T. Deckar. Imprinted at London for R. S. 1609. B. L. 4to. 23 leaves. This is unquestionably the most entertaining, and, exclusive of his Plays, perhaps the best of Dekker's numerous works in verse and prose. It is full of lively descriptions of the manners of the beginning of the reign of James I., including accounts of, or allusions to, most of the popular and fashionable amusements. In an address "to the Reader," (which follows a mock dedication "To all Gulls in generall,") Dekker admits that his tract "hath a relish of Grobianisme," referring to Dedekind's "Grobianus and Grobiana," which had been versified by R. F. in 1605. [Vide SCHOOL OF SLOVENRY, in this Catalogue]. Dekker farther states that he had himself "translated many bookes of that into English verse," but that he had abandoned the task, and "not greatly liking the subject, he had altered the shape, and of a Dutchman fashioned a mere Englishman." In this way he accounts for the "relish of Grobianisme," which he observes will be especially apparent in the beginning of his "Gull's Horn-book." Such certainly is the fact.

The work is entirely prose, and is divided into eight chapters, which are introduced by a Proemium. It was reprinted at Bristol, under the superintendence of Dr. Nott in 1812, and it is often quoted by the Commentators on Shakespeare and our elder poets.