Art the while was no sufferer. The busy-body who officiously employs himself in creating misunderstandings between artists, may be compared to a turn-stile, which stands in every man's way, yet hinders nobody; and he is the slanderer who gives ear to the slander*.”

Among these knights of the "Plume volante," whose chivalric exploits astounded the beholders, must be distinguished PETER BALES in his joust with DAVID JOHNSON. In this tilting match the guerdon of caligraphy was won by the greatest of caligraphers; its arms were assumed by the victor, azure, a pen or; while "the golden pen,” carried away in triumph, was painted with a hand over the door of the caligrapher. The history of this renowned encounter was only traditionally known, till with my own eyes I pondered on this whole trial of skill in the precious manuscript of the champion himself; who, like Cæsar, not only knew how to win victories, but also to record them. PETER BALES was a hero of such transcendent eminence, that his name has entered into our history. Holingshed chronicles

* I have not met with More's book, and am obliged to transcribe this from the Biog. Brit.

one of his curiosities of microscopic writing, at a time when the taste prevailed for admiring writing which no eye could read! In the compass of a silver penny this caligrapher put more things than would fill several of these pages. He presented Queen Elizabeth with the manuscript set in a ring of gold covered with a crystal; he had also contrived a magnifying glass of such power, that, to her delight and wonder, her majesty read the whole volume, which she held on her thumb nail, and commended the same to the lords of the council, and the ambassadors;" and frequently, as Peter often heard, did her majesty vouchsafe to wear this caligraphic ring.

"Some will think I labour on a cobweb" modestly exclaimed BALES in his narrative, and his present historian much fears for himself! The reader's gratitude will not be proportioned to my pains, in condensing such copious pages into the size of a "silver penny," but without its worth!

For a whole year had DAVID JOHNSON affixed a challenge "To any one who should take exceptions to this my writing and teaching." He was a young friend of BALES, daring and longing

for an encounter; yet BALES was magnanimously silent, till he discovered that he was " doing much less in writing and teaching" since this public challenge was proclaimed! He then set up his counter challenge, and in one hour afterwards JOHNSON arrogantly accepted it, “in a most despiteful and disgraceful manner." BALES'S challenge was delivered" in good terms." "To all Englishmen and strangers." It was to write for a gold pen of twenty pounds value in all kinds of hands, best, straightest, and fastest," and most kind of ways; "a full, a mean, a small, with line and without line; in a slow set hand, a mean facile hand, and a fast running hand;" and further, "to write truest and speediest, most secretary and clerk-like, from a man's mouth, reading or pronouncing, either English or Latin."

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Young JOHNSON had the hardihood now of turning the tables on his great antagonist, accusing the veteran BALES of arrogance. Such an absolute challenge says he, was never witnessed by man, "without exception of any in the world!" And a few days after meeting BALES," of set purpose to affront and disgrace

him what he could, showed BALES a piece of writing of secretary's hand, which he had very much laboured in fine abortive parchment," uttering to the challenger these words: "Mr. Bales, give me one shilling out of your purse, and if within six months you better, or equal this piece of writing, I will give you forty pounds for it." This legal deposit of the shilling was made, and the challenger, or appellant, was thereby bound by law to the performance.

The day before the trial a printed declaration was affixed throughout the city, taunting BALES's "proud poverty," and his pecuniary motives, as "a thing ungentle, báse, and mercenary, and not answerable to the dignity of the golden pen!" JOHNSON declares he would maintain his challenge for a thousand pounds more, but for the respondent's inability to perform a thousand groats. BALES retorts on the libel; declares it as a sign of his rival's weakness, " yet who so

This was written in the reign of Elizabeth. Holyoke notices" virgin-perchment made of an abortive skin; membrana virgo." Peacham on Drawing, calls parchment simply an abortive,

bold as blind Bayard, that hath not a word of Latin to cast at a dog, or say Bo! to a goose!"

On Michaelmas day, 1595, the trial opened before five judges: the appellant and the respondent appeared at the appointed place, and an ancient gentleman was intrusted with "the golden pen." In the first trial, for the manner of teaching scholars, after JoHNSON had taught his pupil a fortnight, he would not bring him forward! This was awarded in favour of BALES.

The second, for secretary and clerk-like writing, dictating to them both in English and in Latin, BALES performed best, being first done; written straightest without line, with true orthography; the challenger himself confessing that he wanted the Latin tongue, and was no clerk !

The third and last trial for fair writing in sundry kinds of hands, the challenger prevailed for the beauty and most "authentic proportion," and for the superior variety of the Roman hand. In the court-hand the respondent exceeded the appellant, and likewise in the set text; and in bastard secretary was also somewhat perfecter.

At length BALES perhaps perceiving an equilibrium in the judical decision, to overwhelm