By an oversight Renouard omitted this volume from his list (p. 271) of "Editions Stéphaniennes dont on connoit un on plusieurs exemplaires imprimés sur vélin." It increases the number to twenty-three, seventeen of them printed by the first Henri and only six by his descendants.
Charles Estienne (1504?-1564), a member of a second remarkable family of scholar-printers of the sixteenth century, whose history forms so interesting a parallel to that of Aldus and his descendants, though he does not rank with his brother Robert, or Robert's son the second Henry, certainly brought no discredit on the family name. He was educated as a physician, but when Robert withdrew to Geneva to escape the persecutions of the Sorbonne, he took charge of the Paris press and conducted it with ability from 1551 to 1561, printing one hundred volumes and receiving the appointment of king's printer. Aside from this attractive volume no vellum copy of his books is known.
From the Wodhull sale, with the Wodhull arms stamped in gold on the front cover. Mem. within: "Payne's sale. £3 3s. M. Wodhull, Apr. 14th 1792. Collat & complet." On the last blank leaf is entered the date "Oct. 17th 1808," a record possibly of a later "visitation." Similar dates, some years later than the date of purchase are found on the end leaves of other Wodhull books. Leaf 7 × 4 1/2 in.
Transcriber's Note:
The following inconsistencies found in the text have been retained:
head-line / headline
Homiliæ / Homiliae (in referring to the same book)
De Vinne / DeVinne
Prohemye / Proheyme