The present bibliography presents, it is believed, four features of novelty:—the better representation of the titlepage by the use of Roman and Italic capitals as well as ordinary type; the mention of the chief type used in each book; the furnishing of the first words of certain pages, to facilitate the identification of imperfect copies; and the insertion of actual pages[[2]] of books printed at Oxford, selected from works which are cheap and common. These points are explained and discussed in a paper on Method in Bibliography, printed at pp. 91–106 of vol. 1 of the Transactions of the Bibliographical Society (1893), to which the reader is referred, if he wishes to see a fuller account of the whole aim and method of the present book.
The best thanks of the writer are due for general help to Mr. E. Gordon Duff, Librarian of the John Rylands (late Spencer) Library at Manchester, to Mr. F. J. H. Jenkinson, Librarian of the Cambridge University Library, and to Mr. W. H. Allnutt of the Bodleian: but especially to the Delegates of the Clarendon Press both for undertaking on liberal terms a work which can scarcely prove remunerative, and for enabling the Oxford Historical Society to supply copies to its members, as vol. xxix, at a price far below its actual cost[[3]]. Mr. Horace Hart, the Controller of the Press, has taken a warm personal interest in the printing, and any merits of form which may be found are due to his experience and to the co-operation of his compositors. Nothing, however, can relieve the writer of responsibility for the errors and shortcomings which will be detected; and he can only plead that it is better to bring out an imperfect book, if it is a useful one and the result of hard work, than, by straining after an unattainable completeness, to delay indefinitely its publication.
F. MADAN.
Oxford, Dec., 1894.
Minor Points.
Dates. The books classed under a given year, such as 1615, are necessarily such as were issued between 25 March 1615 and 24 March 1616, since no means exist for dividing them according to the historical year. In recording a date between Jan. 1 and March 24, the form used is invariably the double one, such as 23 Feb. 1615
6, by which is implied what we understand by 23 Feb. 1616.
Numbers of books. Some notes on the number of books printed at Oxford will be found on p. [291], and of books printed or published at Oxford on p. [292], among the Notanda.
References. The usual style of reference throughout the book (including index) is to the year followed by the initial letter of the particular heading; as 1634 C, when the reference is to no. 9 on p. [177] (Cosin). A few references will be found in the earlier pages to years beyond 1640, made before it was decided to close the work at that year.
Titles. The heading usually presents the author’s name in the form by which he is generally known to posterity, as “James ii, king,” although at the time of the book referred to he was prince James.