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The Bibliotheca of Gabriel Harvey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2018

Virginia F. Stern
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Extract

The titles in an individual's library should be an excellent indicator of his interests. In the case of the extensive and remarkably varied collection of annotated volumes belonging to the Renaissance scholar Gabriel Harvey, knowledge of the contents of his library can reveal much not only about the man but about his era as well.

Harvey, eldest of a family of four brothers and two sisters, was born about 1550 in Essex at Saffron Walden, an important town of that period, situated about fifteen miles southeast of Cambridge. A person of considerable intellectual attainments he became a Cambridge don and by 1578 had published several original works in Latin prose and poetry. Although highly esteemed by his close friend the poet Edmund Spenser and by a number of eminent Cambridge scholars, Harvey was undoubtedly resented by others, perhaps because of his espousal of such antitraditional notions as Ramus’ reforms of Aristotelian logic, his awareness of his own intellectual superiority, and his fellow students' disdain for his middle-class background.

Type
Research Article
Information
Renaissance Quarterly , Volume 25 , Issue 1 , Spring 1972 , pp. 1 - 62
Copyright
Copyright © Renaissance Society of America 1972

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References

1 William Lewin, John Young, William Fulke, Henry Harvey, Bartholomew Clerke, Thomas Hatcher, Sir Walter Mildmay, and Sir Thomas Smith each at certain times evidenced his estimation of or confidence in Harvey.

2 Frank Marcham, Lopez the Jew. An opinion by Gabriel Harvey, with some notes of other books annotated by Harvey (Middlesex, 1927); Smith, Moore, MLR, XXVIII (1933), 78–81 CrossRefGoogle Scholar; MLR, XXIX (1934), 68-70; MLR, XXX (1935), 209; Wilson, Harold S., HLB, II (1948), 344–361 Google Scholar and in Wilson's MS notes at the Centre for Reformation and Renaissance Studies, Victoria University, Toronto; David M. Rogers, of the Department of Printed Books at the Bodleian Library, who has graciously written me of his findings at Oxford.

3 I find it questionable that the marginalia in any of the following are Harvey's: A particular declaration or testimony, of the undutifull and traiterous affection borne against her Majestie by Edmond Campion Jesuite, and other condemned Priestes (London, 1582) (Pforzheimer Library); Fraunce, Abraham, Insignium Armorum (London, 1588)Google Scholar (Huntington Library); Harvey, , Pierces Supererogation (London, 1593)Google Scholar (Houghton Library 14465.63. 18*); Spenser, Edmund, Faerie Queene (London, 1590)Google Scholar (several pages reproduced and copy described by Edward Almack in his Fine Old Bindings [London, 1913], present whereabouts unknown); Warner, William, Albions England (London, 1612)Google Scholar (British Museum c.71.c.II ) ; Sidney, Arcadia (1613) (Houghton Library 14457.23.8.7F*).

4 Sig. ziv (Decadis Primae, Lib. x ) . Thomas Preston became Master of Trinity Hall in 1585 when Gabriel Harvey's election was overturned by royal mandate. Preston held this position until his death in 1598.

5 Cecil Papers, Vol. 6i, 5, Hatfield House. The letter is dated May 8, 1598, from Walden.

6 If any reader of this journal knows of a Harvey-owned book not included in this listing, I would be grateful to hear of it, since the present article is but the initial portion of a longer dissertation dealing with Harvey and his marginalia

7 Data on prices of books and their bindings are derived from Francis R. Johnson, ‘Notes on English Retail Book Prices’ in The Library, v, 2 (September 1950), 83-112 and from MacDonald, R. H., The Library of Drummond of Hawthornden (Edinburgh Univ. Press, 1971), pp. 37–45 Google Scholar.

8 Following are examples of prices inscribed by Harvey in his volumes: Fulke, Ouronomachia (London, 1571), 4° (probably purchased new), 3 pence; Frontinus, Stratagemes (London, 1539), 8° (purchased 1578, probably bound), 20 pence; Gasser, Historiarum … totius Mundi Epitome (Basle[?], 1538), 8° (purchased 1576, probably bound), 2 shillings; Duarenus, three legal tracts (Paris, 1564), 40 (probably purchased late 1570's, bound), 2 shillings 6 pence; Quintilian, Institutes (Paris, 1542), 8° (purchased 1567, probably bound), 3 shillings 6 pence; Alciato, three large legal works (Lyons, 1530-32) in folios (probably purchased bound together, late 1570's), 10 shillings; Bruele, Praxis medicinae theorica (Antwerp, 1585), folio (probably purchased 1590's, bound), 10 shillings.

9 Harvey, Gabriel, Ciceronianus, ed. Wilson, Harold S. (Univ. of Nebraska Press, Nov. 1945), p. 45 Google Scholar.

10 Venn & Venn, Alumni Cantabrigienses, Part 1, states that Arthur Capyll, son of Sir Henry, matriculated Fellow-Commoner from Trinity, Michaelmas 1571. In the September Eclogue of Spenser's Shepheards Calender, E. K. identifies ‘HobinolF as ‘Mayster Gabriell Harvey’ who, he states, presented a copy of Gratuhtionum Valdinensium to Queen Elizabeth ‘at the worshipful Maister Capells in Hertfordshire.'

11 Sloane MS.93, fols. 90v, 91. This has been transcribed by Scott, Edward John Long in The Letter-Book of Gabriel Harvey A.D. 1573-1580 (Camden Society, 1884), pp. 167–168 Google Scholar. There are a few minor errors in Scott's transcription.

12 Pedantius A Latin comedy formerly acted in Trinity College, Cambridge, ed. Moore Smith, G. C. (London, 1905), p. 62 Google Scholar.

13 For example, Remonstrance to the Duke de Mayne (J. Wolf, 1593), 4°, STC 5012, and Articles accorded for the Truce-generall in France (J. Wolfe for A. White, 1593), 4°, STC 13117.

14 Harvey was executor for his brother John who died in July 1592 and for his father who died in July 1593. Gabriel was sued by his sister-in-law in connection with the first estate and by his sister Mary in connection with the second.

15 In Harvey's letter of May 8, 1598, to Robert Cecil he speaks of himself as one who has had a serious illness but has now recovered.

16 John received his license to practice medicine from Cambridge in 1587. He became a physician at King's Lynn in Norfolk, residing there until his death in 1592.

17 Harvey writes this symbol with a large ‘x’ and a small superscript‘li’, the latter being scored through once horizontally. I have not yet fathomed its meaning. Obviously it does not refer to the price of the book since it cannot mean ‘tenpounds’ or even ‘ten livres’ (the French coin equivalent to approximately two English shillings). A common little book such as Erasmus’ Parabolac, where the symbol also appears, could not conceivably have cost as much as twenty shillings. It is likely that it signified something special to Harvey such as ‘ex libris’ or ‘ex libro’ and perhaps referred to the use to which he had put the marginalia therein. The symbol is also found on the title pages of Castiglione's Courtier (Hoby translation), Guazzo's La Civil Conversatione (Ital. ed.), Hugkel's De SemeioticeMedicinae, Freigius’ Mosaicus, and Oldendorphius'Lorf communes iuris civilis. All are annotated.

18 In Pierces Supererogation (1593) (sig. Ddi) Harvey gives the following description of the incident: ‘[Perne] once in a scoldes pollicy, called me Foxe between jest, and earnest: (it was at the funerall of the honorable Sir Thomas Smith, where he preached, and where it pleased my Lady Smith, and the coexecutours to bestow certaine rare manuscript bookes upon me, which he desired): I aunswered him betweene earnest, & jest, I might haply be a Cubb, as I might be used, but was over young to be a Fox, especially in his presence. He smiled, and replyed after his manner, with a Chameleons gape, and a very emphaticall nodd of the head. Whosoever, or whatsoever he was; certes my old backfrend of Peterhouse, was the locke of cunning conveyance: but such a lock, as could not possibly be opened with any key, but the key of opportunity, and the hand of advantage.'

19 See Nashe, Have with You to Saffron-walden (1596) (sig. PI ) for the lines, ‘hys missing of the Universitie Oratorship, wherin Doctor Perne besteaded him.’ See Thomas Baker's MS.iv.148-149 & passim (Brit.Mus.) and MS.xxxvr.114 (Camb.Univ.Lib.) indicating Perne's behind-the-scenes actions before and after Harvey's election as Master of Trinity Hall.

20 Richard Harvey seems to have had some annotated books of his own, at least thirteen of which are extant. Except for two which were at one time Gabriel's, they are not included in his brother's library catalogue but have been listed in Appendix C.

21 P.R.O. Probate 6 AA 1630-33, p. 15.