(Vol. iii., p. 321.)
Bartholomæo degli Albizzi, or Bartholomew of Pisa, who wrote the famous
BOOK OF CONFORMITIES, was born at Rivano in Tuscany, and died in 1401.
Mr. Rose's admirable _Biographical Dict._ (12 vols. 8vo. 1850) contains
the following passage relative to this work, under the name Albizzi:--
"The LIBER CONFORMITATUM _was first printed at Venice, folio,
without date or printer's name_; 2nd edition, folio, black letter,
Milan, 1510; 3rd, Milan, 1513. In 1590, Father Bucchi (a
Franciscan) published another edition at _Bologna_, but with
considerable curtailment; and as it did not sell, it was
republished in 1620 _with the first two leaves changed_, in order
to disguise it.
"The approbation of the Chapter of the Order is found in this
edition, bearing date Aug. 2, 1399. Tiraboschi (i. 181.), who is
very angry with MARCHAND for occupying SIXTEEN COLUMNS OF THE
DICT. HIST. WITH AN ENUMERATION OF THE EDITIONS OF THIS WORK AND
ANSWERS TO IT, should have remembered that after such an
approbation, it is no longer the mere work of an individual.
"In 1632, it was published at _Cologne_ with a new title; and in
1658 at _Liege_, but very much altered. Wading (_Bibl. Ord. Min._)
has given a catalogue of Albizzi's other works, which has been
copied by Casimir, Oudin, and Fabricius."
A Venice edition, then, it would appear according to this writer, is the
_original edition_; and that of Milan, 1510, is but the _second_. Will
any one give me some accurate information on this point? Brunet and the
publishers of the various editions of "L'Alcoran," seem quite ignorant
of the existence of any edition previous to that of Milan, 1510.
DR. ERASMUS ALBER, the compiler of the _Alcoranus Franciscorum_, was "a
warm friend and violent partizan of Luther; his chief characteristic is
severe, but broad, coarse satire."
The Amsterdam edition of 1734 commences the 1st vol. with a preface in
French, by Conrad Badius, which is succeeded by one from Luther in
Latin: at the end of the same vol. occurs another and longer _Præfatio
Martini Lutheri, Germanico libello præfixa utcumque translata_; then
follow _Typographus Lectori_, and _Ex Epistola Erasmi Alberi, qui hunc
libellum ex detestando illo Conformitatum volumine contexuit_.
To any one who is acquainted with the _Book of Conformities_, which has
been justly denominated THESAURUS BLASPHEMIÆ, the propriety and aptness
of the title of THE FRANCISCAN KORAN is very obvious. Luther (and there
seems no reason to doubt the genuineness of these prefaces), after
commenting on the expressions used in this book with reference to our
Blessed Lord, and the great exemplar of the "minors" and "minims,"
observes:
"_Hinc sequitur quod Christus veluti figura Francisci, nihil fit
amplius: id_ QUOD TURCI SENTIUNT. _At figuratus ille Franciscus,
omnia est in omnibus. Ex quo jam altera hæresis manat, quod
Franciscum, ut verum Messiam, Mediatorem, Advocatum ac Patronum
invocunt, et vitam æternam ab ipso petunt._"