ABSTRACT
In the dedicatory letter Princess Elizabeth prefaced to her translation of John Calvin’s Institution de la Religion Chrestienne we read:
Of old, from great antiquity … the custom has always prevailed that, to preserve the memory of notable things that were done in times past, and likewise to increase their renown, many ingenious men, both to apply their understanding and industry and to have it seen that in every manner of their ingenious art they excelled the rest of all other animals, have in many places and diverse ways amused themselves by composing or putting into memoirs the things done in their time that seemed to them worthiest of commemoration and remembrance.
Iadis de toute ancienneté … la coustume a tousiours obtenu, que pour garder la mémoire des choses notables qui e estoient faittes au temps passé, et pareillement pour en eslargir la renommee, plusieurs hommes ingénieux (affin aussy qu’ilz applicassent leurs sens, et industrie, et qu’on vist qu’ilz excédassent en toute manière d’artifice ingénieux le reste de tous autres animaux) se sont en plusieurs lieux, et en diuerses manières amusèz a rédiger, et réduire en mémoire le choses faictes en leur temps, lesquelles leur sembloient plus dignes de commémoration ou souuenaunce. (Mueller and Scodel 1:212–15)
