Neo-Latin Women Writers: Elizabeth Jane Weston and Bathsua Reginald (Makin)

Printed Writings 1500–1640: Series I, Part Two, Volume 7

Donald Cheney

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9781840142204
• eBook ISBN: 9781351915311
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Literary Criticism
• Index: Literature

This volume contains the work of the only two Renaissance Englishwomen known to have published collections (as opposed to compilations) of their Latin poetry. Elizabeth Jane Weston lived in Prague as a child, her stepfather being alchemist to Rudolph II. Her stepfather's disgrace, imprisonment and death in 1597 left her to try and support her destitute family household with her writing. Her facility at Latin verses and the support of Georg Martinius von Baldhoven quickly led her to international fame. For Poemata we reprint here the copy of the 1602 edition owned by the Folger Shakespeare Library and for Parthenica we reprint the copy of the 1608(?) edition owned by the Houghton Library. Bathsua Reginald (Makin) was the daughter of Henry Reginald, a London school-master. She is said to have been fluent in Greek, Latin and French and to have knowledge also of Hebrew and Syriac. Her Musa virginea Græco-Latino-Gallica of 1616 certainly confirm these claims to have been accurate. She later became tutor to Princess Elizabeth, daughter of Charles I. The work for which she is best known today is An Essay to Revive the Antient Education of Gentlewomen published in 1673. The work reproduced here is the 1616 edition of Musa virginea and as an appendix we also reprint an engraved card showing specimens of script.

Parthenicon ELISABETHÆ IOANNÆ WESTONIÆ

Virginis nobilissimæ, poëtriæ florentissimæ, linguarum plurimarum peritissimæ,
Collegij Liber I. Wengen
operá acstudio
G. MART. à BALDHOVEN, Sil. collectus, & nunc denuò amicis déiderantibus communicatus.

CAutum est fingulari Sacræ Cæsareæ Majestatis privilegio, ne quis Typo. graphorum per Romani Jmperii & universos Regnoum suæ Majeltatis fines, Elisabethæ Joannæ Westoniæ Anglæ opuscula, quæ vel hactenus edidit, velimposterum editura est, excudere intra decennjum præter ipsius voluntatem posits Qui secus faxit, præter librorum confiscationem mulctabitur, uti latius patet in diplomate Cælarco, &c.

D DIVUM RUDOLPHUM II. Invictissimum Romanorum Imperatorem Dn. Dn. Clementissimum

VT Drus in celis libamina sacra clientum

Suscipit, & placidé mimera parva capit;

Sic Deus intcrris CASAR, cuisider a rident,

Westonie servas suscipe primitias.

Solet auxilium differre JEHOV Arogranti

Sepiùs, in magè sit nostra probata sides:

tro; nec addubito, quinpost tot vota, salutens

Nunc, ò nunc pavili Tu ratione feres.

DEUS in cœlis bonus est, precibuss, mevetun;

Sicmea, DIVE, tuâspes requiescit opeòtibi,

Patri Patria, mundiǵ MONARCHÆ,

Ingemjj fœtus, muner a prima, dico.

ccipe fronte piȃ ; nec parvula rejice, CÆSAR:

Interdùm parvis gratia magna subest.

audimiseram : tristem solare Camanam:

Adfer & optatam, qui potes; unus opim.

S. S. C. M.

Humilima Cliens

Elisabetha Joh West.
Virgo Angla.

EIUSDEM SACRÆ CÆSARIÆ, NEO NON HUNGARIÆ, Ac Bohemiæ REGI MAIESTATI:

Sisprecer, Abdins meus, Inviifissime CÆSAR,

Magnus Alexander sis mibi, Casar exis.

Ille, suis dapib is centum servare Prophetas

Qui voluit, meriti pramia dignatulit.

Hic, quando exguam paupercula filia detem

Orat, inorantem multa talenta locat.

Casar at AVGVSTVS sua largus pramia Musis

Auxerat, Augusle nomine nomenta benignus

Sic Casar RUDOLTHE, meis alimenta benignus

Si Musis aperis, Casare digna facis,

Metua, nepeream, clementia provids servet;

Inqué vadum insontem Gratia larga locet.

Exaudita tibi sint vota, precerǵ, progamis,

Que dat cum gemitu Virgomisellapie

Sic erit in reorobos felix victoria, Turcas:

Sic AVGVSTVS eris: sic benedictus cris.

INVICTISSIME AC POTENTISS ME CÆSAR, DOMINE CLEMENTISSIM

Masta priùs querulo quàm plectra sonoreresuti

Nostra tibi fatur cariula, CÆSAR, ave

CÆDAR ave; & tandem vitivor accipe questus;

Quos gemibunda dabit vice cremente CLIEN

Nam nifi me audieris Casar, nestrive misertus

Nifuêris; non spus ampliùs tella patet.

Vifacics terre langvet, cum Phebus aquosis

Nubibus involvit, seradiosǵ, tegit;

Rie misene Divi nos vuleu Casaris orbe

Angimur, & nigis opprimimur tenebris.

Zumihisol Casar; sed dùm tua lrnina condis,

Que mihi jubsidij spesvé salutis exit?

Resbice nos bumiler, Invicte Monarcha, ministras,

Vite respociat, quivideromme, DEUS

Que tulimus, non sunt versumemoranda Maronis:

Reslat adbuc gemitus, res & egena domi.

Pauperies aliquot secit didicisse per annos

Esuriem, curas, frigora acerba, sicim.

[illegible text]quod adhue inopes vitali vesecimur aura;

Mutual id nobis, datǵ, aliena manig

...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Original Copyright Page
• Preface by the General Editors
• Introductory Note
• Elizabeth Jane Weston, Poëmata
• Elizabeth Jane Weston, Parthenica
• Bathsua Reginald [Makin], Musa Virginea. Graeco-Latino-Gallica
• Appendix: Ad Annam serenissimam … Reginam