Fol. 1, blank. Fol. 2a: Sequitur tabula capitulorum Sophologij. Fol. 5a: Doctissimi atque excellentissimi patris: sacrarum litterarum doctoris deuotissimi: fratris Iacobi magni: religionis fratrum heremitarum: sancti Augustini sophologium incipit. Cuius principalis intentio est inducere legentis animum ad sapientie amorem. Fol. 218a: Jacobi Magni sophologium finit feliciter. Fol. 218b: Epigramma ad huius operis conspectorem [five distichs.] Colophon: Anno domini millesimo .cccc.lxxvij. die .i. mensis Iunij. Impressum fuit istud sophologium parisius per Martinum crantz. Vdalricum gering, et Michaelem friburger.
Quarto. Sign. a-x10, y8, 218 leaves, the first blank, 32 lines to the page, gothic lower-case type, roman capitals. Two- to six-line spaces with guide-letters left for initials. Hain 10478.
Border ornamentation in color on fol. 5a. Initials at the head of the first four of the ten books in dull gold and color; those of the remaining books in color only. Chapter initials and paragraph-marks in alternate red and blue. Blank first leaf wanting. The bottom line of fol. 116b which had been accidentally moved across to the foot of fol. 115a (the companion page on the imposing stone) is supplied in manuscript where it was lacking and the misplaced line of print is canceled.
On the discontinuance of the Sorbonne press in 1473, the printers, Crantz, Gering, and Friburger, moved into the neighboring Rue Saint-Jacques and set up a press, with new type, on their own account. An edition of the Sophologium had been one of the last books printed at the old press. A second edition was issued from the new press in 1475, of which the present edition is, in type, number of pages and lines, an exact reprint, but has printed signatures and is a quarto while that was a folio. Caxton's "Book of Good Manners," printed in 1487, was a translation of "Le livre des bonnes meurs," another work by the same author.
The present copy, bound in green morocco with gold borders and gilt edges, is from the Syston Park library, sold in December, 1884. Leaf 10 3/4 × 7 1/4 in.
23. HIERONYMUS. Vaderboeck. [Zwolle], Peter van Os, 1 April, 1490.
Fol. 1a, Title: DIt boeck is ghenomet. dat vader boeck. dat in den latijne is ghehieten Vitas patrum. inhoudende dye historien ende legenden der heyligher vaderen die hare leuen in strengher penitencie ouerghebracht hebben Ouergheset in goeder verstandelre duytscer sprake. [Rest of page occupied by two woodcuts.] Fol. 1b: [H]Ier beghint die tafele van desen boecke dat ghehieten is dat va (sic) vader boeck. Fol. 4b: Hier eyndet die tafef (sic) van den boecke..... Fol. 5a: [Woodcut of the Annunciation, which is repeated on the verso of the leaf.] Fol. 6a: Hier beghinnet dat eerste deel van desen boecke dat ghenoemet is Vitaspatrum in latijne. Fol. 165b, Colophon: Hier eyndet dat derde deel van desen boecke van den wonderlijke wercken ende goede exempelen ende goede leringhen der heigher (sic) vaderen so als die heylige leraer Jeronimus vut den griecken in den latine ghetogen heeft Ouergheset in goeder verstandelre duytscer spraken om salicheit alre goeder kersten menscen. Ghedruct bi mi Peter van Os In den iare ons heren Mcccc ende xc. den eersten dach van den April. [Printer's Device, (shields of Zwolle and of the printer combined).] Fol. 166, blank.
Folio. Sign. A4, a8, b-z6, A4, B-D6, 166 leaves, the last blank, 6-165 numbered i-clx. 2 columns, 36 lines to the column, gothic letter. Two- to six-line spaces left for capitals. The first initial of the title is a ten-line ornamental woodcut D. The two woodcuts on the title-page are printed from sections cut from the blocks of the Latin Biblia Pauperum, that on the left (Descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost) from the central panel of sign. p., that on the right (Jacob's dream), from the right-hand panel of the sign. t. Other sections of these blocks were used in like manner in other books of van Os. In place of blank fol. 5 cut away, is inserted a full page woodcut of the Annunciation, printed on both sides of the leaf, on paper unlike any other used in the book. Campbell 938. Proctor 9135.
Prologue initial on fol. 6a supplied in blue with pen ornamentation in red. Chapter initials and paragraph-marks in alternate red and blue. Initial-strokes in red. Blank last leaf wanting.