book one sheet. A book on Book Collecting, lately published, gives the

following extraordinary remarks on finding the size:—“The leaves must be counted between signature and signature, and then if there are two leaves the book is a folio, if four a 4to, if eight an 8vo, if twelve a 12mo, etc.... I should advise the young collector to count the leaves between signature and signature, and to abide by the result, regardless of all the learned arguments of specialists.” The absolute folly of these remarks on the sizes of books will be apparent to any one who has seen an old book. The earliest folios printed in Germany and Italy are in quires of ten leaves, _i.e._ there are ten leaves between signature and signature; in the majority of early folios there are eight. Again, there is no folio book in existence among early books (excepting the block-books, which are in a class apart) with only two leaves to the signature.

Wynkyn de Worde made up many of his quartos in quires of eight and four leaves alternately; most early 16mos were made up in quires of eight leaves, and had therefore two signatures to each complete sheet. In the same way many 24mos were made up in quires of twelve leaves. All these books would be wrongly described by counting the leaves between the signatures; in fact, that method comes right by accident only in the case of some octavos and a few 12mos and 16mos.[41]

[41] On the subject of the sizes of old books, the reader would do well to consult the _Athenæum_, 1888, vol. ii, pp. 600, 636, 673, 706, and 744, where some instructive and amusing letters will be found. A further series of letters relating generally to the same subject appeared in the same paper in the early part of 1889.

The collation of a book is the enumeration of the number of leaves according to the way in which they are arranged in quires, and this collation should be given whether the quires are signed or not. If there are signatures, there can be no difficulty in counting the number of leaves which go to each quire; but when there are no signatures, as is the case with most books before 1475, the collation is a more difficult matter. The first thing to be looked at, if the book has no MS. signatures, is the sewing, which shows us the centre of the quire,[42] and we can then count from sewing to sewing. This gives us only the halves of two quires; we must then have recourse to the watermarks. In a folio, if one leaf has a watermark, the corresponding leaf which forms the other half of the sheet has none. Again, in a quarto, corresponding leaves have either no watermark, or each half a one. Judging from the sewing and the watermarks, there is rarely any difficulty in making out the collation, the first and last quires being the most difficult to determine with accuracy; the others present no difficulty. It is thus always best to settle the arrangement of the interior quires first, and work from them to the outer ones, which are more likely to be mutilated.

[42] It was the custom of many binders in the earlier part of the present century, when they had to rebind an old book, to separate all the leaves and then fix them together in convenient sections, entirely ignoring the original “make up.” A very large number of books in the British Museum were thus misbound, and even the celebrated Codex Alexandrinus was treated in this way.

This method of collation by the watermarks is very often useful for detecting made up copies. For instance, in the copy of the thirty-six line Bible in the British Museum, the first and last leaf of the first quire have each a watermark, showing absolutely that one of the two leaves (in this case the first) has been inserted from another copy.

In many old books which have been rebound, the outside pages of the quire are very much smoother and more polished than the rest, and may thus be distinguished by touch. This, though a pretty certain test, may mislead, if the book has been misbound, and should only be used in conjunction with the other methods. A little practical work will soon enable the beginner to find for himself various small points, all of which, though hardly worthy of a lengthy description, are useful in giving information, but are only useful when they have been acquired by experience.

In giving an account of a fifteenth century book, a reference should always be made to Hain’s _Repertorium Bibliographicum_. If Hain gives a full description, and such description is correct, it will be sufficient for all purposes to quote the number in Hain. Almost all the books fully described in that work have an asterisk prefixed to their number, that being the sign that Hain had himself collated the book; and in quoting from him the asterisk should never be omitted.

The title and colophon should always be given in extenso, the end of each line in the original being marked by an upright stroke (|). The abbreviations should be exactly copied. Notice must always be taken of blank leaves which are part of the book. The number of lines to the page, the presence or absence of signatures, all such technical minutiæ must be noted down.

In fact, the object of a good bibliographical description is to give as clearly and concisely as possible all the information which can be derived from an examination of the book itself.

The individual history of a book is of the utmost importance, and should never be ignored. On this subject I cannot do better than quote some words of Henry Bradshaw, applicable more to manuscripts than to printed books, but which explain the writer’s careful method, and practically exhaust all that has to be said on the subject.

“These notes, moreover, illustrate the method on which I have worked for many years, the method which alone brings me satisfaction, whether dealing with printed books or manuscripts. It is briefly this: to work out the history of the volume from the present to the past; to peel off, as it were, every accretion, piece by piece, entry by entry, making each contribute its share of evidence of the book’s history backwards from generation to generation; to take note of every entry which shows either use, or ownership, or even the various changes of library arrangement, until we get back to the book itself as it left the original scriptorium or the hands of the scribe; noting how the book is made up, whether in 4-sheet, 5-sheet, or 6-sheet quires, or otherwise; how the quires are numbered and marked for the binder; how the corrector has done his work, leaving his certificate on the quire, leaf or page, or not, as the case may be; how the rubricator has performed his part; what kind of handwriting the scribe uses; and, finally, to what country or district all these pieces of evidence point.... The quiet building up of facts, the habit of patiently watching a book, and listening while it tells you its own story, must tend to produce a solid groundwork of knowledge, which alone leads to that sober confidence before which both negative assumption and ungrounded speculation, however brilliant, must ultimately fall.”

INDEX OF PRINTERS AND PLACES.

Abbeville, 90, 91.

Abingdon, 182, 183.

Alban’s, St., 140.

Albi, 71, 90.

Aldus, 69, 70.

Alopa, F. de, 75.

Alost, 97, 101, 102, 103, 104.

Alyat, A., 189.

Amorbach, J., 58, 189.

Andreæ, J., 112.

Andrieu, M., 93.

Angers, 88, 89.

Angoulême, 93.

Antwerp, 103, 108, 111, 112, 134, 171, 172, 181, 190.

Appentegger, L., 114.

Arndes, S., 122.

Ascensius, J. B., _see_ Badius.

Audenarde, 110, 111.

Augsburg, 51, 52, 56, 61, 148.

Avignon, 19, 78, 80, 94.

Azzoguidi, B., 72.

Badius, J., 86, 174, 177.

Bamberg, 24, 39, 43, 45, 47.

Bamler, 41, 51.

Barbier, J., 143, 144.

Barcelona, 114, 115, 117, 121, 148.

Barmentlo, P., 110.

Barnes, J., 156.

Basle, 23, 57, 58, 111, 172.

Bechtermuntze, H., 34, 35, 36, 37.

Bechtermuntze, N., 36, 37, 54, 55.

Bedill, J., 143.

Belfortis, A., 65, 72.

Bellaert, 112.

Bellescullée, P., 89.

Benedictis, de, 72.

Bergman de Olpe, P., 51.

Beromunster, 58.

Bertolf von Hanau, _see_ B. Ruppel.

Berton, J., 94.

Besançon, 92.

Beverley, 178.

Bois-le-duc, 112.

Bollcaert, J., 190.

Bologna, 72.

---- S. de, 119.

Bonhomme, P., 83.

Botel, H., 115.

Bourgeois, J. le, 92.

Bouyer, J., 89.

Braem, C., 104.

Braga, 121.

Brandis, L., 57.

Brasichella, G. de, 70.

Breda, J. de, 110.

Bréhant-Loudéac, 90, 91.

Breslau, 57.

Brito, J., 106, 107.

Bruges, 105, 106, 111, 126, 136.

Brun, P., 115.

Brunswick, 157.

Brussels, 107, 108.

Bruxella, A. de, 76.

Buckinck, A., 63, 64.

Burgos, 117.

Butz, L., 114.

Buyer, B., 87.

Cadarossia, D. de, 79.

Caen, 89, 90.

Cagliari, 119.

Calafati, N., 117.

Caliergi, Z., 70, 76.

Cambridge, 180, 194, 197.

Carner, A., 72.

Castaldi, P., 59.

Caxton, W., 48, 49, 84, 105, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 141, 142, 148, 157, 159, 160, 165, 166, 167, 171, 172, 191, 192, 196.

Cayllaut, A., 84.

Cennini, B., 74.

Chablis, 88, 89, 91.

Chalcondylas, D., 75.

Châlons, 93.

Chambéry, 90.

Chardella, S. N., 66.

Chartres, 90.

Chepman, W., 174.

Cividad di Friuli, 77.

Clemens Sacerdos, 68.

Cluni, 93.

Cock, G., 114.

Coeffin, M., 184.

Colini, J., 91.

Cologne, 42, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 91, 96, 108, 126, 127, 149, 154, 155, 169, 171, 172.

Copenhagen, 109, 122.

Copland, R., 129, 142.

Coria, 118.

Cosselhac, A. de, 79.

Coster, L. J., 95, 98.

Crantz, M., 81, 83.

Cremona, 77.

Crès, J., 91, 92.

Creusner, F., 53.

Dachaver, 88.

Dale, H. van den, 111.

Davidson, T., 176.

Daygne, C., 175.

Delft, 109.

De Marnef, 175.

Deventer, 109, 110, 172.

Dijon, 93.

Dinckmut, C., 16, 57.

Dôle, 92, 93.

Dorne, J., 157.

Dortas, A., 120.

Drach, P., 37, 54, 55.

Durandas, J., 90.

Durham, 188.

Edinburgh, 174, 175, 176.

Eggestein, H., 39, 41, 42, 56, 188.

Egmondt, F., 171.

Eichstadt, 55.

Eliezer, 120.

Eltvil, 34, 36, 37, 54.

Elyas, C., 57.

Embrun, 93.

Erfurth, 21.

Esslingen, 55, 73.

Eustace, G., 85.

Exeter, 184.

Eysenhut, J., 11.

Fabri, J., 122, 123.

Faques, G., 7, 197.

---- R., 197.

Faro, 121.

Fernandez, A., 113, 114.

Ferrara, 65, 72, 73.

Ferrose, G., 79.

Fèvre, G. le, 84.

Flandrus, M., 114.

Florence, 72, 74, 75, 76.

Fogel, J., 188.

Foligno, 71.

Forestier, J. le, 92.

Foucquet, R., 91.

Francour, J. de, 119.

Frankfort, 20, 32.

Frederick of Basle, 117.

Frees, F., 177, 178.

---- G., 177.

Friburger, M., 81, 83.

Friedberg, P. de, 33.

Froben, J., 58.

Fust, John, 23, 24, 25, 26, 46, 47, 80.

Fyner, C., 55, 56.

Gachet, J., 180.

Gallus, U., _see_ Hahn, U.

Gaver, J., 143.

Geneva, 58.

Gérard, P., 91.

Gerardus de Lisa, 76.

Gering, U., 81, 83.

Gerona, 114, 116, 117.

Ghemen, G. van, 109, 122, 179.

Ghent, 111, 112.

Gherlinc, J., 121.

Ghotan, B., 123.

Giunta, 70.

Godard, G., 85.

Goes, H., 177, 178, 179.

---- M. van der, 111, 134.

Gops, G., 50, 51.

Gossin, J., 106.

Gotz, N., 50, 91, 127, 198.

Gouda, 108, 109, 179.

Goupil, R., 184.

Goupillières, 93.

Gourmont, G., 86.

Gradibus, J. and S., 89.

Granada, 119.

Grenoble, 93.

Gruninger, J., 43.

Guldenschaff, J., 51, 149.

Gurniel, J. de, 115.

Gutenberg, John, 22, 23, 24, 25, 31, 34, 35, 36, 40, 46, 47, 52, 53, 57, 71, 82, 96.

H., I., 143, 144.

Haarlem, 97, 98, 99, 112.

Hagembach, P., 114.

Haghe, L., 183.

Hahn, U., 64, 65, 66.

Hardouyn, G., 85.

Harsy, N. de, 92.

Hasselt, 110.

Heerstraten, E. van der, 104, 172.

Hees, W., 102.

Helyas de Louffen, 58.

Hereford, 180, 183.

Hermann de Stalhœn, 32.

Hermonymus, G., 20.

Hertzog, J., 171, 172.

Higman, J., 84, 139.

Hijst, J. and C., 55.

Hochfeder, C., 91.

Hohenwang, L., 56.

Homery, C., 35, 36.

Hopyl, W., 174.

Hostingue, L., 175, 184.

Hug de Goppingen, J., 56.

Hunt, T., 151, 155.

Hurus, P., 114.

Husner, G., 43.

Jacobi, H., 156, 193.

Jaen, 119.

Janszoon, L., _see_ Coster, L. J.

Jardina, G. de la, 79.

Jenson, N., 48, 66, 67, 68, 80, 96.

John de Colonia, 50, 69.

John of Speyer, 66.

Kacheloffen, C., 16.

Kaetz, P., 181.

Kaiser, P., 82, 83, 89.

Keffer, H., 23, 35, 52.

Keller, A., 189.

---- J., 148.

Kerver, T., 85.

Kesler, N., 111.

Ketelaer, N., 102.

Keysere, A. de, 110.

Knoblochzer, J., 43.

Koburger, A., 53, 189.

Koelhoff, J., 50.

Kuilenburg, 15, 16, 104, 112.

Kyrfoth, C., 156.

Landen, J., 155.

Lantenac, 93.

Lausanne, 58.

Lauxius, D., 174.

Lavagna, P. de, 73.

Laver, G., 63.

Lavingen, 56.

Lecompte, N., 171.

Leempt, G. de, 102, 110, 112.

Leeu, G., 108, 109, 111, 112, 171, 172.

Leipzig, 16, 20.

Leiria, 120, 121.

Lerida, 115.

Lettou, J., 129, 160, 161, 197, 198.

Levet, P., 84, 139.

Leyden, 109, 112.

Lila, B. de, 118.

Limoges, 94.

Lisbon, 120.

Loeffs, R., 104.

Loeslein, P., 69.

London, 6, 107, 141, 143, 145, 156, 160, 161, 178, 181, 188, 197, 198.

Louvain, 15, 103, 104, 172, 190.

Loys, J., 184.

Lubeck, 57, 122, 123.

Ludwig zu Ulm, 10, 56.

Lyons, 72, 86, 87, 94, 175.

Machlinia, W. de, 107, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166.

Maçon, 93.

Madrid, 119.

Mainz, 21, 23, 25, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 44, 46, 47, 52, 58, 60, 67, 71, 82, 95, 96, 100, 101.

Mansion, C., 105, 106, 127.

Manthen, J., 69.

Mantua, 77.

Marchant, G., 84.

Marienthal, 37, 38, 108.

Martens, Th., 103, 104, 112.

Marti, B., 117.

Martinez, A., 114.

Mayer, H., 88, 118, 119.

Maynyal, G., 133, 171.

Melchior de Stanheim, 52.

Mentelin, J., 39, 40, 41, 42, 43.

Merseburg, 57.

Metlinger, P., 92.

Metz, 90, 91.

Milan, 68, 72, 73, 74.

Milner, U., 178, 179, 180.

Monreale, 77.

Monserrat, 119.

Monterey, 119.

Moravia, V. de, 120.

Moravus, M., 161.

Morelli, 89.

Morin, M., 92.

Murcia, 118.

Myllar, A., 174, 175.

Nantes, 93.

Naples, 72, 76, 161.

Narbonne, 93.

Nassou, H. de, 104.

Nijmegen, 110, 112.

Norins, J., 189.

Notary, J., 141, 143, 144, 145, 146, 193.

Novacivitate, G. de, 91.

Numeister, J., 71, 90.

Nuremberg, 10, 11, 23, 43, 52, 53, 91, 108.

Odensee, 121, 122.

Orleans, 93.

Orrier, B. van, 111.

Os, G. de, 109, 137, 139, 140.

---- P. van, 110.

Oxford, 125, 134, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 182, 187, 192.

P., I., 190.

Padua, 77.

Paffroed, R., 110.

Palma, 117.

Palmart, L., 113, 114.

Pannartz, A., 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65.

Paris, 18, 20, 32, 80, 86, 89, 90, 91, 92, 133, 139, 171, 172, 174, 175, 177, 189.

Parix, J., 88.

Parma, 72, 77.

Passera, G. R. de la, 119.

Pavia, 72, 76.

Périgueux, 94.

Perpignan, 94, 115.

Perusia, 122.

Pfister, A., 24, 25, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47.

Philippus Petri, 68.

Picheng, 2.

Pictor, B., 69.

Pigouchet, P., 85.

Pistoia, D. de, 74.

Poitiers, 89.

Porres, J. de, 119.

Portilia, A., 72.

Pré, J. du, 84, 90, 91, 92, 94.

Printer of Augustinus de Fide, 50, 127. ---- Dictys, 50. ---- Historia S. Albani, 50.

Promentour, 58.

Provins, 94.

Puerto, A. del, 114.

Pynson, R., 92, 145, 156, 163, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 176, 193.

Quentell, H., 51, 169.

Quijoue, E., 90.

R Printer, 42, 43.

Raem de Berka, G. ten, 149.

Ratdolt, E., 29, 69, 148.

Ravescot, L. de, 104.

Redman, R., 170.

Regnault, F., 85, 92.

Rennes, 90.

Reuchlin, 20.

Reutlingen, 56.

Reüwick, E., 33.

Reynes, J., 193.

Reyser, M., 55.

Richard, J., 92.

Richel, B., 58.

Richenbach, J., 188.

Riessinger, S., 76.

Roca, L. de, 118.

Rodt, B., see Ruppel.

Rome, 61, 64, 65.

Rood, T., 149, 151, 154, 155.

Rosembach, 115.

Rostock, 108.

Rouen, 90, 91, 92, 166, 167, 168, 172, 175, 176, 177, 184.

Rouge, G. le, 89, 91.

---- P. le, 84, 89, 91.

Roy, G. le, 87.

---- J. le, 93.

Ruppel, B., 23, 57, 58.

Rusch d’Ingwiller, A., 40, 42.

Rychard, T., 182.

St. Alban’s, 140, 157, 158, 159.

St. Maartensdyk, 110.

Salamanca, 116.

Salins, 90.

San Cucufat, 118.

Saragossa, 114.

Saxonia, N, de, 120.

Schenck, P., 89.

Schiedam, 112.

Schleswig, 122.

Schœffer, Peter, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 47, 48, 58, 80.

Schoensperger, J., 52.

Schott, M., 40.

Schussler, J., 52, 61.

Scolar, J., 156, 182.

Scot, J., 143.

Scotus, O., 69.

Segorbe, 116.

Segura, B., 114.

Sensenschmidt, J., 47, 52.

Seville, 88, 114, 115.

Shoenhoven, 112.

Siberch, J. L. de, 180, 181.

Snell, J., 121, 122.

Solidi, J., 89.

Sorg, A., 52.

Spindeler, N., 145.

Spire, 37, 53, 54, 55.

Sporer, Hans, 10, 11.

Spyess, W., 36, 37.

Stockholm, 122, 123, 124.

Stoll, J., 82, 83, 89.

Story, J., 176.

Strasburg, 22, 23, 39, 40, 41, 43, 55, 76, 96.

Subiaco, 31, 52, 59, 60, 61, 62.

Sursee, 58.

Sweynheym, C., 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65.

Talleur, G. le, 92, 166, 168, 175.

Taro, 121.

Tarragona, 115, 119.

Tavistock, 182.

Theodoricus, 154, 155.

Ther Hoernen, A., 50, 108, 149, 155.

Thorne, J., 157.

Toledo, 114, 116.

Tolosa, 88, 118, 119.

Toro, 121.

Torresani, A. de, 70.

Toulouse, 87, 118, 119.

Tours, 93.

Trechsel, J., 86.

Tréguier, 90.

Treveris, P., 157.

Treves, 91.

Treviso, 72, 76.

Trogen, 58.

Troyes, 89, 90, 91.

Turre, J. de, 89.

Udina, 77.

Ulm, 16, 56, 57, 61.

Ulric and Afra, Monastery of, 52.

Urach, 56.

Utrecht, 15, 16, 97, 99, 101, 102, 103, 104, 107.

Valdarfer, C., 68, 73.

Valence, 94.

Valenciennes, 94.

Valentia, 113, 114, 118.

Valladolid, 115, 119.

Vasqui, J., 116.

Vavassore, G. A., 17.

Veldener, J., 15, 16, 99, 103, 104, 107, 189.

Vendrell, M., 114, 117.

Venice, 17, 66, 67, 68, 69, 76, 83, 86, 96, 103, 148, 171, 172.

Verard, A., 84, 85, 167.

Verona, 77.

Vienne, 89.

Villa, J. de, 114.

Violette, P., 175, 177.

Vitalis, M., 78, 79.

Vivian, M., 93.

Vostre, S., 85.

Vulcanius, M., 190.

W., G., 192.

Wadsten, 123, 124.

Waldfoghel, P., 78, 79.

Wanseford, G., 177, 179, 180.

Watson, H., 178.

Weidenbach, 42, 43, 108.

Wenssler, 58, 117, 172.

Werrecoren, P., 110.

Westminster, 128, 141, 144, 145, 148, 178.

Westphalia, C. de, 104. ---- John of, 103, 104.

Windelin of Speyer, 67.

Winters de Homborch, C., 51.

Worde, W. de, 7, 84, 109, 126, 127, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 157, 158, 167, 170, 178, 179, 180.

Woudix, J. de, 190.

Xeres, 117.

York, 141, 177, 179.

Zainer, G., 51, 52, 56. ---- J., 56, 60, 189.

Zamora, 116.

Zarotus, A., 73.

Zel, U., 47, 48, 49, 60, 96.

Zeninger, C., 43.

Zorba, S., 120.

Zwolle, 110, 149.

Printed by T. & A. CONSTABLE, Printers to Her Majesty, at the Edinburgh University Press.

Transcriber’s Notes

The illustrated advertisement from the front of the book has been placed at the end of the book.

Page 54: in the footnote, ondon has been changed to London.

Page 54: Bechtermuncze has been changed to Bechtermuntze which is the predominant usage throughout the book.

Page 159: abbrevation has been changed to abbreviation.

Hyphenation has been standardised.

In this text version, text in italics is delimited by _underscores_.

End of Project Gutenberg's Early Printed Books, by E. (Edward) Gordon Duff