Note 325 — The Drawing Room.

Of this curious little devotional volume the reader has already had some account (p. 119, ante); but if he wishes to enlarge his knowledge of the same, let him refer to vol. lx. pt. ii. and vol. lxi. pt. i. of the Gentleman's Magazine. By the kindness of Mr. John Nichols, I am enabled to present the bibliomaniacal virtuoso with a fac-simile of the copper-plate inserted in the latter volume (p. 321) of the authority last mentioned. It represents the golden cover, or binding, of this precious manuscript. Of the Queen's attachment to works of this kind, the following is a pretty strong proof: "In the Bodl. library, among the MSS. in mus. num. 235, are the Epistles of St. Paul, &c., printed in an old black letter in 12o. which was Queen Elizabeth's own book, and her own hand writing appears at the beginning, viz.: "August. I walke many times into the pleasant fieldes of the Holy Scriptures, where I plucke up the goodliesome herbes of sentences by pruning: eate them by reading: chawe them by musing: and laie them up at length in the hie seate of memorie by gathering them together: that so having tasted their sweetenes I may the lesse perceave the bitterness of this miserable life." The covering is done in needle work by the Queen [then princess] herself, and thereon are these sentences, viz. on one side, on the borders; celvm patria: scopvs vitæ xpvs. christvs via. christo vive. In the middle a heart, and round about it, eleva cor svrsvm ibi vbi e.c. [est Christus]. On the other side, about the borders, beatvs qvi divitias scriptvræ legens verba vertit in opera. In the middle a star, and round it, vicit omnia pertinax virtvs with e.c., i.e. as I take it, elisabetha captiva, or [provided it refer to Virtus] elisabethæ captivæ, she being, then, when she worked this covering, a prisoner, if I mistake not, at Woodstock." Tit. Liv. For. Jul. vit. Henrici v., p. 228-229.