Judicii. It consists of fifteen plates, with scrolls in German. The following is copied from the Apocalypse in Hunter's Museum, and from the Doctor's own hand writing. The most particular account of the work, which I have seen, is in p. 334, &c. by the anonymous author of the Idee Generale d'une Collection complete d'Estampes avec une Dissertation sur l'Origine de la Gravure, et sur les premiers Livres d'Images. a Leipsic et Vienne, chez Paul Kraus, 1771. 8vo. He supports his opinion with strong arguments, that card stamping gave birth to printing. In the 15th Century, card-making employed a number of hands, not only in Venice, but in Germany, where they were made for exportation. From cutting on wood, and stamping cards, they proceeded to images, plain and coloured, and thence to Bible histories, such as this, which he believes to be a German, not a Haarlem work. Printing in metal types produced first the fine Bible, from 1450 to 1452, and the Pope's Letters of Indulgence in 1454, by Fust and Guttenburg; in 1457, the Psalter, by Fust and Schoeffer, with wooden capitals. The Biblia Pauperum, which is in Hunter's Museum, is very imperfect, and wants several plates. This copy is not coloured. I am I am informed that the most perfect collection of these rare specimens of Typography is in the possession of Lord Pembroke. Paliner, in his History of Printing, is obviotisly mistaken. He makes no mention of the rarest, which I believe to be the Historia Virginis ex Cantico Canticorum; nor of the Historia Virginis ex Evangeliis. The Biblia Pauperum he ranks as the third in order, and the Ars Moriendi, the first. He decidedly pronounces that they are not of Coster's execution, but gives the credit to Guttenberg. FICHETUS. Gulielmi Ficheti Artium et Theologiæ Doctoris Rhetoricorum Libri 111. accedit ejusdem Ficheti Panegyricus Rob. Gaguino versibus Compositus. In Parisiorum Sorbona, per Ulricum Gering Martinum Crantz et Mich Friburger Ann. 1471 in 4to. THIS is a book of extraordinary rarity, and very much sought after by the curious. It is generally considered as the first book which was printed printed at the Sorbonne, in Paris, by Ulric Gering and his associates. The book is minutely described by M. Chevillier, in his Dissertation sur l'Imprimerie de Paris, and by De Bure, No. 2335. In this book blank leaves were left in the beginning, for the purpose of inscribing different dedications to different individuals. The superb copy on vellum, in the Cracherode Collection, has four printed leaves, containing a dedication to Pope Sextus IV. The dedication commences thus: Sanctissimo Patri Sexto Quarto Pontifici Maximo Guillermus Fichetus Minimus Theologorum Parisiensium doctorum devota Pedum Oscula. It then proceeds: Ante omnia petenti mihi dabis veniam Pater Sancte si neque munusculo, neque sermone novo pontifice digno tecum agam. Non enim quas tua Sanctitas semper abjecit opes ab inope, neque qua manas Latinam Eloquentiam ab eo qui Latium nunquam vidit expectes. Expectes vero quos duces ad Petri locum habuisti, fidem, benevolentiam, amorem, observantiamque teretem ut sic dicam atque rotundam. The conclusion is this: Vale Spes reliqua Christianitatis dibus Sorbonæ Parisii Scriptum pridie Kalendas Sep tembris Anno uno et Septuagesimo quadringenesimoque supra Millesimum, 1471. The Cracherode copy is adorned with a beautiful illuminated Title page, representing the author, Fichetus, presenting his book to Pope Sextus IV. The initials throughout are also richly illuminated. This copy was sold at M. D. Limare's sale, for 1151 livres, equal to 471. 19s. At the Parisian sale it was purchased by Mr. Cracherode, for 311. 10s. At the end are some complimentary verses from Robert Gaguinus, addressed to Fichetus, which end thus: Gaude igitur Doctor habiturus nomen in ævum. Vale, Felixque vive. BEMBUS DE ETNA. Bembi Petri Liber de Etna. Venetiis Aldus. 1495. THIS is one of the scarcest of the Aldine books, and indeed of all printed books. It is one of the five which Aldus published in 1495, and is of extraordinary beauty. It is also me morable morable as being the first Latin book printed at the Aldus press. The subject of it is a dialogue between Peter Bembus and his father Bernard Bembus, within a few days after their return from Sicily, on the conflagrations of Ætna. Peter Bembus represents, that he wrote this book to satisfy the curiosity of those, who after his return from Sicily, knowing that he had made it a particular object of his attention, were constantly making enquiries of him concerning Etna. No mention is made of this work in any Life which I have seen of Peter Bembus, or, as he is called generally, Peter Bembo. I am rather surprized that the compilers of the last edition of the Dictionnaire Historique have been guilty of this omission. This tract of Bembus is added to the fragments of P. Cornelius Severus, published at Amsterdam, cum notis Variorum, by David Mortier, in 1715. The reader who wishes for further particulars concerning this rare book, may consult Smith. Maittaire, 1 p. 595. Pinelli, 2 p. No. 3267, Panzer, 3 V. p. 378. Crevenna, 4 p. 250. There was a copy in the Pinelli Library, which sold for seven pounds. The Museum duplicate produced ten guineas and a half. From |