The curiosities of book dedications are many, and @ great deal! of human nature is bound up in their history. The late Mr. H. B. Wheatley, in his admirable _little volume "The Dedication of Books to Patron and Friend, A Chapter in Literary History," points out that the dedication has had three phases. It was originally a spontancons expression of love and respect toward a friend or patron. It next became a more or less shameless means of courting favour or notoriety. In its final and present stage it has reverted to its original purpose, and to propriety. I remember Lionel Johnson once showing me. a book of his poems each one of which—and there were many in the volume—he had dedicated to a separate person. This was simply a graceful way of salute ing as many of his friends as possible. But tie same device was formerly resorted to with the very different motive of collecting deication fees. Isaac D'Israeli mentions the Italian editor, Politi, who in 1761 produced a Roman martyrology in which the matter dealing with the 365 days of the year was separately dedicated. Our own Fuller equipped his "Church History" with 1% title pages and sever-score of dedications.
Even so great a poet as Spenser had no fewer than 15 dedications to noble patrons through the "Faerie Queene," and Chapman sought to recommend his translation of Homer's Iliad by inserting 16 sonnets to lords and ladies.
Sometimes, however, a single dedication to a whole class of persons was adopted. Thus, in 1614, Tristan White put forth a poem on Saint George of England and dedicated to all the Georges in England who were "noble, honourable, and worthy." Baxter inscribed his "Saint's Everlasting Rest" "To my beloved Friends, the Inhabitants of the Burrough and Foreign of Kidderminster both Magistrates and People." A singular dedica-: tion of this kind was prefixed by Richard Brathwayte to his "Strappedo for the Devil' (1615). It To all usurers, brokers, and promoters, sergeants, catchpoles, and regra-; ters, ushers, panders,' suburb—traders, cockneys that have many fathers; Jadies'' monkeys,—parachitoes,—marmosites and catamitees, falls, high-tires and rebatoes, false-hairs, _periwigs, Mmouchatoes, grave gregorians and painters—send I greeting at adventures, and' to all such as be evil, my "Strappado for the Devil."
The adulation indulged in by many old writers when they penned their dedications is almost incredible. D'Israeli cites as a particular-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.