''The Book of Saint Albans'' (or ''Boke of Seynt Albans'') is the common title of a book printed in 1486 that is a compilation of matters relating to the interests of the time of a gentleman. It was the last of eight books printed by the

St Albans Press The St Albans Press was the third printing press set up in England, in 1479. It was situated in the Abbey Gateway, St Albans, a part of the Benedictine Monastery of St Albans. The name of the printer is unknown, only referred to by Wynkyn de Worde ...

in England. It is also known by titles that are more accurate, such as "''The Book of Hawking, Hunting, and Blasing of Arms''". The printer is sometimes called the Schoolmaster Printer. This edition credits the book, or at least the part on hunting, to

Juliana Berners Juliana Berners, O.S.B., (or Barnes or Bernes) (born 1388), was an English writer on heraldry, hawking and hunting, and is said to have been prioress of the Priory of St Mary of Sopwell, near St Albans in Hertfordshire. Life and Work Very lit ...

as there is an attribution at the end of the 1486 edition reading: "Explicit Dam Julyans Barnes in her boke of huntyng". It contains three essays, on hawking,

hunting Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, ...

, and heraldry. It became popular, and went through many editions, quickly acquiring an additional essay on

angling Angling is a fishing technique that uses a fish hook or "angle" (from Old English ''angol'') attached to a fishing line to tether individual fish in the mouth. The fishing line is usually manipulated via a fishing rod, although rodless techni ...

.World Wide Words: Precision of Lexicographers
/ref> The section on heraldry contains many coats-of-arms printed in six colours (including black ink and the white of the page), the first

colour printing Color printing or colour printing is the reproduction of an image or text in color (as opposed to simpler black and white or monochrome printing). Any natural scene or color photograph can be optically and physiologically dissected into three ...

in England. During the 16th century the work was very popular, and was reprinted many times. It was edited by

Gervase Markham Gervase (or Jervis) Markham (ca. 1568 – 3 February 1637) was an English poet and writer. He was best known for his work '' The English Huswife, Containing the Inward and Outward Virtues Which Ought to Be in a Complete Woman'', first publishe ...

in 1595 as ''The Gentleman's Academic''. Scholarship on the sources of the Book indicates that little in it was original. It is expressly stated at the end of the ''Blasynge of Armys'' that the section was "translatyd and compylyt," and it is likely that the other treatises are translations, probably from the French. An older form of the treatise on fishing was edited in 1883 by Mr T. Satchell from a manuscript in possession of Alfred Denison. This treatise probably dates from about 1450, and formed the foundation of that section in the book of 1496. Only three perfect copies of the first edition are known to exist. A facsimile, entitled ''The Boke of St Albans'', with an introduction by William Blades, appeared in 1881.

Juliana Berners

is mentioned in the 1486 edition, but little is known about her life. She is said to have been the

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

prioress of the Priory of St. Mary of Sopwell, near St Albans in Hertfordshire. She was probably born into the nobility, which would explain her level of education and her love of field sports. It is not clear how much of ''The Book of Saint Albans'' was written by

, but she is most commonly associated with the treatise on hunting. Her name was changed by

Wynkyn de Worde Wynkyn de Worde (died 1534) was a printer and publisher in London known for his work with William Caxton, and is recognised as the first to popularise the products of the printing press in England. Name Wynkyn de Worde was a German immigr ...

to "Dame Julyans Bernes" in his edition. There is no such person to be found in the pedigree of the Berners family, but there is a gap in the records of the priory of Sopwell between 1430 and 1480. De Worde's edition (fol. 1496), also without a title-page, begins: "This present boke shewyth the manere of hawkynge and huntynge: and also of diuysynge of Cote armours. It shewyth also a good matere belongynge to horses: wyth other comendable treatyses. And ferdermore of the blasynge of armys: as hereafter it maye appere." This edition was adorned by three

woodcut Woodcut is a relief printing technique in printmaking. An artist carves an image into the surface of a block of wood—typically with gouges—leaving the printing parts level with the surface while removing the non-printing parts. Areas tha ...

s, and included a ''Treatyse of fysshynge wyth an Angle'', not contained in the St Albans edition. Joseph Haslewood, who published a facsimile of Wynkyn de Worde's edition (London, 1811, folio) with a biographical and bibliographical notice, examined with the greatest care Berner's claims to authorship. He assigned to her little else in the ''Boke'' except part of the treatise on hawking and the section on hunting.

Hawking (falconry)

The hawking treatise is considered to be adapted from the ''Booke of Hawkyng after Prince Edwarde Kyng of Englande'', a manuscript of the reign of Edward IV of England (BL Harley Collection 2340). The work is not intended as a full practical treatise, but to introduce the technical language, and to describe feeding and illnesses, for an owner who needs to take an interest. The work provides this hierarchy of raptors and the social ranks for which each bird was supposedly appropriate. *

Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

eagle Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, j ...

vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...

, merlin *

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

gyrfalcon The gyrfalcon ( or ) (), the largest of the falcon species, is a bird of prey. The abbreviation gyr is also used. It breeds on Arctic coasts and tundra, and the islands of northern North America and the Eurosiberian region. It is mainly a resid ...

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...

: gentle falcon: a female peregrine falcon *

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...

falcon Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica, though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene. Adult falcons ...

of the loch *

Earl Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form '' jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particula ...

: peregrine falcon * Baron:

buzzard Buzzard is the common name of several species of birds of prey. ''Buteo'' species * Archer's buzzard (''Buteo archeri'') * Augur buzzard (''Buteo augur'') * Broad-winged hawk (''Buteo platypterus'') * Common buzzard (''Buteo buteo'') * Eastern ...

Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

saker falcon The saker falcon (''Falco cherrug'') is a large species of falcon. This species breeds from central Europe eastwards across the Palearctic to Manchuria. It is mainly migratory except in the southernmost parts of its range, wintering in Ethiopia ...

Squire In the Middle Ages, a squire was the shield- or armour-bearer of a knight. Use of the term evolved over time. Initially, a squire served as a knight's apprentice. Later, a village leader or a lord of the manor might come to be known as a ...

lanner falcon The lanner falcon (''Falco biarmicus'') is a medium-sized bird of prey that breeds in Africa, southeast Europe and just into Asia. It prefers open habitat and is mainly resident, but some birds disperse more widely after the breeding season. A l ...

* Lady: merlin * Young man:

hobby A hobby is considered to be a regular activity that is done for enjoyment, typically during one's leisure time. Hobbies include collecting themed items and objects, engaging in creative and artistic pursuits, playing sports, or pursuing oth ...

Yeoman Yeoman is a noun originally referring either to one who owns and cultivates land or to the middle ranks of servants in an English royal or noble household. The term was first documented in mid-14th-century England. The 14th century also witn ...

goshawk Goshawk may refer to several species of birds of prey, mainly in the genus ''Accipiter'': * Northern goshawk, ''Accipiter gentilis'', often referred to simply as the goshawk, since it is the only goshawk found in much of its range (in Europe and N ...

* Poor man: male falcon *

Priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

sparrowhawk Sparrowhawk (sometimes sparrow hawk) may refer to several species of small hawk in the genus ''Accipiter''. "Sparrow-hawk" or sparhawk originally referred to ''Accipiter nisus'', now called "Eurasian" or "northern" sparrowhawk to distinguish it f ...

* Holy water clerk: sparrowhawk

Hunting

The essay on hunting, in particular, is attributed to Dame Juliana Berners (or Barnes or Bernes) who was believed to have been the prioress of

Sopwell Priory Sopwell Priory (also known as Sopwell Nunnery) was a Benedictine nunnery founded around 1140 on the site of an ancient hermitage in Sopwell, Hertfordshire, England. After the Dissolution, the priory was torn down and a Tudor manor house construct ...

near St Albans. It is in fact a metrical form of much older matter, going back to the reign of

Edward II of England Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir apparent to ...

, and written in French: the ''Le Art de Venerie'' of the huntsman Guillaume Twici. The book contains, appended, a large list of special

collective noun In linguistics, a collective noun is a word referring to a collection of things taken as a whole. Most collective nouns in everyday speech are not specific to one kind of thing. For example, the collective noun "group" can be applied to people (" ...

s for animals, "Company terms", such as "gaggle of geese" and the like, as in the article

List of collective nouns In the English language, animals have different names depending on whether they are male, female, young, domesticated, or in groups. The best-known source of many English words used for collective groupings of animals is '' The Book of Saint A ...

. Amongst these are numerous humorous collective nouns for different professions, such as a "diligence of messengers", a "melody of harpers", a "blast of hunters", "a subtlety of sergeants", "a gaggle of women", and a "superfluity of nuns". The tradition of a large number of such collective nouns which has survived into modern

Standard English In an English-speaking country, Standard English (SE) is the variety of English that has undergone substantial regularisation and is associated with formal schooling, language assessment, and official print publications, such as public service a ...

ultimately goes back to this book, via the popular 1595 edition by

in his ''The Gentleman's Academic''.

Angling

Brief History of Wood-engraving Wynkyn de Worde Fishing

A work added to the 1496 edition of the Book, was the ''Treatyse of Fysshynge with an Angle'', on

. It is an earlier collection of practical advice for fishing; and was drawn on by

Isaak Walton Izaak Walton (baptised 21 September 1593 – 15 December 1683) was an English writer. Best known as the author of ''The Compleat Angler'', he also wrote a number of short biographies including one of his friend John Donne. They have been colle ...

. Among recognised sources for Walton's ''

Compleat Angler ''The Compleat Angler'' (the spelling is sometimes modernised to ''The Complete Angler'', though this spelling also occurs in first editions) is a book by Izaak Walton. It was first published in 1653 by Richard Marriot in London. Walton continu ...

'' are works of William Gryndall (1596) and Leonard Mascall (1590), both of which are close derivatives of the ''Treatyse''.

Heraldry

The virtues of the gentleman, according to the Book, were skewed towards those useful in military terms. It contained a section on the

law of heraldic arms The law of heraldic arms (or laws of heraldry) governs the "bearing of arms", that is, the possession, use or display of arms, also called coats of arms, coat armour or armorial bearings. Although it is believed that the original function of coat ...

, the ''Liber Armorum'', reporting on the contemporary discussion on the relationship between gentility, and the heraldic practice of "gate-keeping" the grant of coats of arms (

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The vis ...

s). The Book took the line that the law of arms was part of the

law of nature Law of nature or laws of nature may refer to: Science *Scientific law, statements based on experimental observations that describe some aspect of the world *Natural law, any of a number of doctrines in moral, political, and legal theory Media * ...

. James Dallaway reprinted this ''Book of Arms'' in his 1793 ''Inquiries into the Origin and Progress of Heraldry in England''. The Book proposed that there could be several kinds of gentlemen: those "of blood" differed from those granted coat armour. J. P. Cooper wrote:

The ''Boke's'' classification of
gentry Gentry (from Old French ''genterie'', from ''gentil'', "high-born, noble") are "well-born, genteel and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past. Word similar to gentle imple and decentfamilies ''Gentry'', in its widest c ...
was to be repeated by heraldic writers for two centuries and was systematised by Ferne and Legh under Elizabeth.

He takes as sources for the assertions in the ''Boke'' the works of Nicholas Upton called ''De Studio Militari'', and the unpublished manuscript of readings in heraldry, around 1450, known as "Richard Strangways's Book" (i.e. BL Harley Collection 2259). There are idiosyncratic ideas on the

curse of Ham The curse of Ham is described in the Book of Genesis as imposed by the patriarch Noah upon Ham's son Canaan. It occurs in the context of Noah's drunkenness and is provoked by a shameful act perpetrated by Noah's son Ham, who "saw the nakedness o ...

underpinning the theory, with Europeans being "Hamitic"; Cooper believes the source may be the ''Testament of Love'' of

Thomas Usk Thomas Usk (died 4 March 1388) was appointed the under- sheriff of London by Richard II in 1387. His service in this role was brief and he was hanged in the following year. His life Born in London, Usk was a petty bureaucrat, scrivener, and a ...

. Jacob's suggestion of another source for the work, a ''Book of the Lineage of Cote Armour'', does not come with direct indications of the affiliation.

Derivative works

edited the Book as ''The Gentleman's Academie, or the Booke of S. Albans'' (1595), London (for Humfrey Lownes). This was then reprinted in 1614 as ''A Jewel for Gentry''. According to Joseph Haslewood, this 1614 reprint was the last in the series going back to the 1486 original.

Online versions

* A copy of an 1881 edition
archive.org

Full digitised version on Cambridge Digital Library

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Book of Saint Albans Essay anthologies 1486 books Incunabula Literature on heraldry History of hunting