Vox Piscis
Encyclopedia
Vox Pisces, or The Book-Fish, contayning three treatises which were found in the belly of a cod-fish in Cambridge market, on Midsummer Eve last. is a book published in 1627 with a very unusual origin.
The original text of the work was found in the belly of a fish. On June 23, 1626, scholar and theologian Dr. Joseph Mede
(or Mead) of Christ's College, Cambridge
, was walking through Cambridge
's market, when a fishwife
found a small thin book (size sextodecimo) wrapped in sailcloth inside the stomach of a codfish caught at King's Lynn
.
These texts were attributed to protestant reformer John Frith
, who was imprisoned in a fish-cellar in Oxford and later burned at the stake. The texts were published as a book the next year with a preface written by Thomas Goad
. The texts have also been attributed to Richard Tracy
of Stanbury Manor, Gloucestershire.
It is not known how the original book got in the fish's stomach.
The original text of the work was found in the belly of a fish. On June 23, 1626, scholar and theologian Dr. Joseph Mede
Joseph Mede
Joseph Mede was an English scholar with a wide range of interests. He was educated at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he became a Fellow from 1613. He is now remembered as a biblical scholar. He was also a naturalist and Egyptologist...
(or Mead) of Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
, was walking through Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
's market, when a fishwife
Fishmonger
A fishmonger is someone who sells fish and seafood...
found a small thin book (size sextodecimo) wrapped in sailcloth inside the stomach of a codfish caught at King's Lynn
King's Lynn
King's Lynn is a sea port and market town in the ceremonial county of Norfolk in the East of England. It is situated north of London and west of Norwich. The population of the town is 42,800....
.
These texts were attributed to protestant reformer John Frith
John Frith
John Frith was an English Protestant priest, writer, and martyr.Frith was an important contributor to the Christian debate on persecution and toleration in favour of the principle of religious toleration...
, who was imprisoned in a fish-cellar in Oxford and later burned at the stake. The texts were published as a book the next year with a preface written by Thomas Goad
Thomas Goad
Thomas Goad was an English clergyman, controversial writer, and rector of Hadleigh, Suffolk. A participant at the Synod of Dort, he changed his views there from Calvinist to Arminian, against the sense of the meeting.-Life:...
. The texts have also been attributed to Richard Tracy
Richard Tracy
-Life:He was the younger son of William Tracy, a noted Lutheran convert, graduated B.A. at Oxford on 27 June 1515, and was admitted student of the Inner Temple in 1519. In 1529 he was elected to the ‘reformation’ parliament as member for Wotton Basset, Wiltshire...
of Stanbury Manor, Gloucestershire.
It is not known how the original book got in the fish's stomach.
Contents
- Preface
- "Praeparatio Crucem or Of the Preparation to the Cross"
- "A Lettre which was Written to the Faithfull Followers of Christes Gospell"
- "A Mirror, or, Glasse to know thyselfe"