generalizations will not, however, be unwelcome. The books which she
possessed before she ascended the throne are excessively rare, and even
those owned by her after that event are by no means common. Elizabeth
herself embroidered several books with her own hands, the most beautiful
example of her work being a copy of the Epistles of St. Paul, now at the
Bodleian. The black silk binding is covered with devices embroidered by
the Princess during her sequestration at Woodstock, representing the
Judgment of Solomon and the Brazen Serpent, and these have been
reproduced by Dibdin in 'Bibliomania.' From an inventory published in
_Archaeologia_ we learn that, in the sixteenth year of her reign, the
Queen possessed a book of the Evangelists, of which the covers were
decorated with a crucifix and with her arms in silver, weighing, with
the wood corners, 112 ounces. Among the books which the notorious Libri
'conveyed' were two which appear to have belonged to Elizabeth, first a
volume containing Fenestella's 'De Magistratibus Sacerdotusque
Romanorum' (1549), and another tract, which realized L5; and Jones's
'Arte and Science of Preserving Bodie and Soul in Healthe, Wisdome, and
Catholicke Religion' (1579), beautifully bound 'a petit fers,' which
realized close on L20.

[Illustration: _Queen Elizabeth's Golden Manual of Prayers._

Back Cover.]

The British Museum contains several books, including one or two very
beautiful ones, which were formerly the Queen's, and among these perhaps
the most notable is an imperfect copy of Coverdale's New Testament
(_circa_ 1538). Upon the inside of the cover is the following manuscript
note: 'This small book was once the property of Q. Elizabeth, and
actually presented by her to A. Poynts, who was her maid of Honor. In it
are a few lines of the Queen's own hand writing and signing. Likewise a
small drawing of King Edward the 6th when very young [of Windsor Castle]
and one of the Knights in his robes.' The 'few lines' of the Queen's are
as follows: 'Amonge good thinges | I prove and finde, the quiet | life
dothe muche abounde | and sure to the contentid | mynde, ther is no
riches | may be founde | your lovinge | mistress Elizabeth.' An
interesting point is raised in the _Library_ (ii. 65, 66), by Mr. W. G.
Hardy, relative to the books of the Earl of Essex, which were believed
to have become the property of Elizabeth after the unfortunate
favourite's execution in 1601. The finest as well as the