THE History of the Legend of the Holy Cross which is here reproduced, is somewhat fuller than the Golden Legend of Caxton, there being particulars about Moses, David, and Solomon not to be found therein; but they may be found in other versions of the Legend, some in the Latin of Jacobus de Voragine, others in two MSS. in the British Museum.[M]
The engravings are taken from a very rare book, of which, as far as is known, there are but three copies in existence: one is in the Royal Library at Brussels, another at the Hague, in the collection of Mr. Schinkel, and the third is in the possession of Lord Spencer at Althorp. It is from this book that these fac-similes (made by M. J. Ph. Berjeau) were taken. The book itself has one woodcut on each page, with a verse in Dutch, at the bottom, explanatory of each engraving. It is called indifferently Historia Sanctæ Crucis or Boec van den houte (Book of the wood or tree).
It was printed at Kuilenburg on March 6th, 1483, by John Veldener,[N] who had just removed from Louvain. These sixty-four engravings were originally on thirty-two blocks,[O] and evidently belonged to some much older block book, now lost. These, Veldener cut in half, as he had already treated a Speculum, and brought them out as a fresh book.
The Legend as told by these engravings is as follows:—
Woodcut [No. 1.]