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Show CHURCHYARD, THOMAS, 152021604 A Description and playne Discourse of Paper, and the whole benefitt that Paper brings, with rehearsall, and settingforth inverse a Paper Myl builtnear Dartford, by an High Germaine, called Master Spilman, Jeweller to the Queenes Majestie. 1588 This poem was the first account of papermakingin English and isinteresting more for that reason than for any technical information that migh be gained from it. The complete poem consisted of 353 lines printed in quarto volume of seventeen leaves, with an engraved title.page. The wor was prefaced by a sort of dedicatory epistle addressed "To my honorabl friend Sir Walter Ralegh," under the title "A Sparke of Friendship an warm good will etc. There is an original copy of this most interesting work in the Bodleia Library, and a reprint may be found in Nichols, The Progresses of Quee Elizabeth, vol.i page 582. T he poem is oo long togive in its entirety her buta few salient verses may be quoted 1 prayse the man that first did Paper make The only thing that sets all virtues forth Tt shooes new bookes, and keepes old workes awake Much more of price than all the world is worth Though parchment duer a greater time and space Yet can it not put paper out of place For paper, still, from man to man doth go ‘When parchment comes in few mens' hands you knowe Then he that made for us a Paper mill Is worthy well of love and worldes good will /And though his name be Spillman by degree Yet Help-man, now, be shall be calde by mee Six hundred men are set at worke by him ‘That else might starve, or seeke abroad their bread ‘Who nowe live well, and goe full brave and trim ‘And who may boast they are with paper fed The hammers thump, and make as lowde a noyse As fuller does that beates his woolen cloth In open shewe, then sundry secrete toyes Makes rotten ragges to yeelde a thickned froth Then itis stampt, and washed as white as snowe Then flong on frame, and hangd to dry, I trow Thus paper strefght it , o write upon As it were rubbe and smoothde with slicking-stone 1 |