Originally published in The Athenæum (Longman, Rees, Hurst and Orme; Cadell and Davies) vol.1 #1 (01 Jan 1807).
"The first Part: of the Catalogue of English printed Bookes. Which concerneth such matters of Diuinitie as haue bin either written in our owne Tongue, or translated out of anie other language: And haue bin published, to the glory of God, and edification of the Church of Christ in England. Gathered into Alphabet, and such method as it is, by Andrew Maunsell, Bookeseller; Vnumquodque propter quid. London, Printed by John Windet for Andrew Maunsell, dwelling in Lothburie, 1595."
Folio, pp. 123. dedications pp. 6. with the device of a pelican and its offspring rising from the flames, round which is, "Pro Lege, Rege et Grege. Love kepyth the Lawe, obeyeth the Kynge, and is good to the Commonwelthe."
We are unable to open our bibliographical department with greater propriety, than in noticing this catalogue, which is termed by the learned and laborious antiquary Hearne "a very scarce, and yet a very useful book." It will be found the first digested list of publications in the English language, and is curious on many accounts, particularly as it affords the titles of many works, and records the names of various authors long since lost and forgotten.
Of Andrew Maunsell the compiler, nothing more is now known, than that he was a bookseller of ability and eminence in Lothbury: he dedicates his labours to "The qveenes most sacred Maiestie;" to "The Reverend Diuines, and Louers of Diuine Bookes;" and to "The Worshipfull the Master, Wardens, and Assistants of the Companie of Stationers, and to all other Printers and Booke-sellers in generall." As the last affords some insight into the plan of the publication, and is besides applicable to the compilation of catalogues in general, we shall transcribe a part of it.
"— seeing (also) many singular Bookes, not only of Diuinitie, but of other excellent Arts, after the first Impression, so spent and gone, that they lie euen as it were buried in some few studies;—I haue thought good in my poor estate to vndertake this most tire-some. businesse, hoping the Lord will send a blessing vpon my labours taken in my vocation; Thinking it as necessarie for the Booke-seller (considering the number and nature of them) to haue a Catalogue of our English Bookes; As the Apothecarie his Dispensatorium, or the Schoole-master his Dictionarie."
"By meanes of which my poore trauails, I shall draw to your memories Books that you could not remember; And shew to the learned such Bookes as they would not thinke were in our owne tongue; Which I haue not sleighted vp the next way, but haue to my great paines drawn the writers of any special argument together, not following the order of the learned men that haue written Latine Catalogues, Gesner, Simler, and our countriman John Bale. They make their Alphabet by the Christian name, I by the Sirname: They mingle Diuinitie, Law, Phisicke, &c. together, I set Diuinitie by itselfe: They set downe Printed and not Printed, I onely Printed.—Concerning the Books which are without Author's names called Anonymi, I haue placed them either vpon the Titles they been entituled by, or else vpon the matter they entreate of, and sometimes vpon both, for the easier finding of them."
"Concerning the bookes that be translated, I haue observed, (if the translator doe set his name) the Author, the Matter, the Translator, the Printer, (or for whome it is Printed) the yeere and the volume: For example, Lambert Danæus, his treatise of Antichrist, translated by John Swan, Printed for John Potter and Thomas Gubbin 1589. in 4. The Author's Sirname which is Danæus; The matter of the Booke which is Antichrist; The translator's Sirname which is Swan; Are or should be in Italica letters, and none other, because they are the Alphabetical names obserued in this Booke: Turne to which of these three names you will, and they will direct you to the Booke."
"-- I shall not neede to make the like examples—they are piaine inough by one example.—
A. MAUNSELL."
One specimen from the list shall conclude this article: p. 64, letter R.
"And: Kingsmill, his comfortable treatise for all such as are any manner of way, either troubled in mind, or afflicted in bodie, also an exhortatien to suffer afflictions patiently. A conflict had with Sathan. Prin. by the assignment of Christopher Barker 1585. in 8.
His view of man's estate, wherein the great mercie of God in man's iustification is shewed, also is annexed a godly aduise touching marriadge. Printed by Georg Bishop and Tho. Woodcocke 1588. in 8."