British History, mainly Ecclesiastical, in the Nuremberg Chronicle

To see ourselves as others see us, and in the light of their sense proportion, not our own, is no doubt a salutary experience, and not least for Englishmen. To do so indeed may lead to a better understanding of some historical perspectives which may otherwise seem puzzling. Anyone, for example, who should study F. W. Putzger's ‘Historischer Schul-Atlas der alten, mittleren und neuen Geschichte’ edited by Baldamus and Schwabe (Bielefeld u. Leipzig 1908) would certainly find much food for reflection as to its probable effect on the attitude towards England and the British Empire in the mind of a young German student. And on this side it was, in fact, a careful study of these maps which suggested an examination of the account of England and British ecclesiastical history to be found in the impressive work edited Dr Hartmann Schedel, physician at Nuremberg, which is commonly known as the Nuremberg Chronicle and was published in 1493. The reader will perhaps forgive an occasional comparison which also suggested itself with parallel accounts in Proctor and Dewick's edition of ‘The Martiloge in Englysshe after the use of the chirche of Salisbury and as it is redde in Syon With addicyons. Printed by Wynkyn de Worde in 1526’ (Henry Bradshaw Society. London 1893), familiarly known as ‘Whytford's Martiloge’. The results of the vindemiatio prima contained in this article are not primarily to be considered in respect of the absolute or relative accuracy of the statements quoted but of the temper of mind which they exhibit as we observe what are the features and who are the persons in British history deemed worthy of inclusion in what was designed to be a universal encyclopaedia. Taken as a whole the conspectus will be admitted to be curious both in regard to inclusion and to omission, and the effect probably not to be altogether devoid of interest

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