The Alexander contains a full colophon stating that it was printed in the University of Oxford by Theodoric Rood of Cologne on the 11th of October 1481. The Lathbury has nothing but the date, the last day of July 1482.
The Cicero Pro Milone is known only from two sets of fragments rescued from the bindings of books. Four leaves were presented to the Bodleian in 1872, and four other leaves were found later in the library of Merton College, where perhaps more may still be discovered. The book was a quarto and was made up in gatherings of six leaves and probably consisted of about thirty leaves. A page contains only nineteen lines which are widely leaded. Though not found in other Oxford books, this spacing was not uncommon in editions of texts without notes printed abroad, and was intended to afford space to the student to write glosses over the words.
This edition of the Pro Milone is further interesting as being the first classic printed in England, the next being an edition of Terence issued in separate plays by Pynson between the years 1495 and 1497, followed after a considerable interval by an edition of Virgil from the same press. The English printers no doubt saw that it was quite hopeless to compete with the cheap and well-printed foreign editions.
The Latin Grammar is known only from two leaves found in a book-binding, and they were acquired by the British Museum in 1872. What book they came from is not known, but in 1871 they were in the hands of Messrs Ellis & Green, and were described in the Athenæum. From the frequent references to Oxford in the text, it has been supposed that the work was compiled in Oxford. Stanbridge was spoken of as a probable author, but Bradshaw suggested John Anwykyll, first master of Magdalen School, who had been recommended to the founder for his skill in a new style of grammatical teaching which had met with general approbation.
After the publication of these four books, the type with which their text was printed disappears altogether, but is replaced by one of very similar appearance, and besides this, two other new founts came into use. This activity may perhaps be explained by the theory that Thomas Hunte, the Oxford stationer, had entered into partnership with Rood. In the Alexander de Hales of 1481 we find Rood’s name alone, while in the only book of the last group which contains a full colophon, the Phalaris of 1485, the names of both are given. To Hunte’s influence may perhaps be traced the acquisition of a fount of type of much more English appearance, and probably, since it contained a w, intended for use in English books.
To the years 1483 and 1484 six books may be ascribed. Two editions of Anwykyll’s grammar, Hampole on Job, a work on Logic, the Provincial Constitutions of England with the commentary of William Lyndewode, and a sermon by Augustine on almsgiving.
The editions of Anwykyll’s grammar may be taken first, since in one copy we find an inscription showing that it was bought in 1483. The book consists of two parts, the Latin grammar, and a supplement containing sentences of Terence with English translations, known as the Vulgaria Terentii. The part containing the grammar is excessively rare. Of one issue one fragment is known, consisting roughly of half the book, now in the Bodleian Library. It was originally bound up with other tracts, and the volume was found along with some other old books in an attic at Condover Hall, Shropshire, by Mr Alfred Horwood when engaged in an examination of family archives for the Historical Manuscripts Commission.
The other issue is known only from six leaves, all in Cambridge, three in the University Library, two in Corpus, and one in Trinity libraries. Two reprints of the grammar were issued on the Continent, one by Richard Paffroet at Deventer in 1489, consisting of seventy-six leaves, and another at Cologne by Henry Quentell about 1492, containing sixty leaves. From a comparison of the various fragments with these foreign editions certain conclusions may be drawn. Anwykyll had divided his grammar into four parts, and in the edition represented by the six Cambridge leaves these parts were arranged in their proper sequence, one, two, three, and four. In the edition, however, represented by the Bodleian fragment, and in both foreign editions, the parts are arranged, one, three two, four. The last quire of the Bodleian edition was signed m, and it was followed by the Vulgaria Terentii signed n to q. The Cambridge edition of the grammar extended at any rate to signature n.
Since in reprints the tendency is generally to compress, it is most probable that the Cambridge edition was the earlier, a conclusion rendered more likely from the arrangement of the books in their correct order. For some reason this order was altered in the fresh issue, the printing was compressed, and the Vulgaria printed to go at the end. It would be natural for the foreign printers to take the most recent issue as their model, in this case the edition represented by the Bodleian fragment.
We may conclude then that the first Oxford issue consisted of Anwykyll’s grammar alone, the second the grammar re-arranged and compressed, with the Vulgaria Terentii added as a supplement.