[Oxford, about 1485]: sm. 4^o.
Only known from two leaves (signn. c^2-c^3) in the Library of St.
John’s College, Cambridge. A grammatical work, of which other editions
were printed in London by Wynkin de Worde (sine anno) and Pynson
(1516), and elsewhere.
2. ¬Phalaris.¬ [Sign. a 2^r:—] Francisci Aretini Oratoris
p¿re¿⸗|clarissimi in eloq¿ue¿ntissimas Phala|ridis tyranni epistolas per
ipsum | e greco in latinu¿m¿ versas. Prohe⸗|mium foeliciter incipit
[Sign. m 6^r:—] Hoc oposculu¿m¿ in alma vniuersi⸗|tate Oxonie. A Natali
christiano | Duce¿n¿tesima & nonagesi¿m¿a septima. | Olimpiade
foeliciter impressum e¿st¿.
Oxford, 1485, printed by Theodoric Rood and Thomas Hunte: (eights)
squ. 12^o: pp. [176], signn. a-d^8, e^6, f^8, g^6, h^8, i^6, k-l^8,
m^6: sign. b 1^r beg. _Udio vos_. Contents:—sign. a 1^v “Carmeliani
Brixiensis Poete ad lectorem Carmen,” 12 elegiac lines: a 2^r-m 6^r,
the work: on m 6^v after the colophon “Hoc Teodericus rood quem
collonia misit | Sanguine germanus nobile pressit opus | Atque sibi
socius thomas fuit anglicus hunte. | Dij dent vt venetos exuperare
queant | Quam ienson venetos decuit vir gallicus artem | Ingenio
didicit terra britanna suo. | Celatos veneti nobis transmittere libros
| Cedite nos alijs vendimus o veneti | Que fuerat vobis ars primum no
ta latini | Est eadem nobis ipsa reperta patres. | Quamuis semotos
toto canit orbe britannos | Uirgilius. placet his lingua latina tamen.
A Latin translation of the spurious Letters of Phalaris.
1486.
[†¬Mirk¬, John]. [Sign. ( ) 2^r:—] Incipit liber qui | vocatur festialis
[Sign. z 3^r:—] Here endith the boke | that is callid festiuall. | the
yere of oure lord M | cccc . lxxxvi . the day aftir | seint Edward the
kyng.
Imprint as above, n. pl., but Oxford 1486 (probably 19 Mar. 1486/7):
la. 8^o: pp. [348], signn. ( )^8, a-b^8, c^6, d^8, d⸴^8, e^6, f^8,
g^4, h^8, i^6, k-l^8, m^6, n-o^8, p^6, q^8, r^6, s^8, t-v^6, x^8, y^6,
z^4: sign. b 1^r beg. _diuerse skylles_. Contents:—sign. ( ) 1^r,
woodcut of Crucifixion: ( ) 1^v-z 3^r, the work.
English sermons on the holy days and a few of the Sundays of the year:
written or collected by John Mirk, canon of Lilleshall. Other early
English printed editions exist, beginning with one by Caxton in about
1483. Variations are found in the setting up of signn. h and i. The
first two leaves are not at present known to exist.
-----
Footnote 4:
For a discussion of special points connected with the Fifteenth
Century Oxford Press, see Appendix A.
The Early Sixteenth Century Press[5].
1517.
¬Burley¬, Walter. ¶ Tractatus expositorius ⁄ super libros
poste⸗|rioru¿m¿ Arestotilis: preclarissimi philisophi | Walteri Burlei
artium liberalium | et trium philosophiaru¿m¿ magi⸗|stri meritissimi: ac
in sacra | theologia doctoris perspi|cacissimi planissimiq¿ue¿ | suis
posteris Oxoniensibus admodum vtilis incipit feli⸗|citer cum summa
diligentia. | recognitus. [Then _woodcut_]. [Sign. B 6^v:—] Explicit
scriptum planissimi doctoris Walteri | Burlei super libros posterioru¿m¿
Impressum | in academia Oxonie anno dominice i¿n¿|carnatio¿n¿is . M .
CCCCC . xvii . | Die vero dece¿m¿bris quar|to ad laudem dei | &
profectum | stude¿n¿tiu¿m¿. [Then _woodcut_: then] Fata regunt finem:
spero dij cepta secundent. |
Impr. as above, Oxford 1517: sm. 4^o: pp. [20], signn. A^4, B^6: sign.
B 1^r beg. _Sed quia_. Contents:—sign. A 1^r, title, with arms of
University: A 1^v-B 5^v, the work: B 6^r, royal arms: B 6^v, colophon
with arms of University repeated.
A Latin Commentary by Walter Burley on the Posterior Analytics of
Aristotle.
1518.
1. ¬Burley¬, Walter. ¶ Tractat¿us¿ p¿er¿breuis de materia & forma: |
M¿a¿g¿ist¿ri Walteri Burlei doctoris planissimi. [Then _woodcut_: then]
¶ Aliud perbreue co¿m¿pendiu¿m¿ de relatiuis e⸗|iusdem doctoris vtile
tamen admodum | nouellis logicis. [Sign. B 3^r:—] ¶ Finit tractatus
duorum principio⸗|rum et de relatiuis. M¿a¿g¿ist¿ri Walte|ri Burley
Oxoniensis. | ¶ Finis. [Sign. B 4^v:—] ¶ Impositus est finis tractatui
doctoris planissimi | de duobus principijs . s.[iue] mater ia et forma
et de rela⸗|tiuis cum speciali priuilegio p¿er¿ septe¿n¿niu¿m¿ ex edicto
dig|nissimi cancellarii Oxonie. [Then _woodcut_: then] ¶ Impressum est
presens opusculum in celeberima | vniuersitate Oxoniensi per me Ioannem
Scolar in | viculo diui Ioannis baptiste moram trahentem An⸗|no d¿omi¿ni
. M . CCCCC . deci¿m¿ooctauo. Mensis vero Iu⸗|nij die septimo.
Impr. as above, Oxford, 1518: sm. 4^o: pp. [16], signn. A-B^4: sign. B
1^r beg. _est dare_. Contents:—sign. A 1^r, title: A 2^r-B 3^r, the
work in two parts: B 3^v, woodcut of royal arms: B 4^v, colophon.
2. ¬Dedicus¬, Joannes. Questiones | moralissime super li⸗|bros
Ethicoru¿m¿ eruditissimi | viri Ioannis Dedicus artium libe⸗|ralium
triumq¿ue¿ philosophiarum magistri | optime meriti / et in moralibus
pre ceteris satis pe⸗|riti feliciter incipiunt subtilissimis
Oxoniensibus in philo⸗|sophia morali lucubrare cupientibus non magis |
vtiles q¿uam¿ necessarie. | [Then _engraving of the University arms_].
[Sign. N 4^v:—] ¶ Explicitum est Ioannis Dedici Oxoniensis in | morali
philosophia eruditissimi preclaru¿m¿ opusculum | questionu¿m¿ /
subtilissimediscucientiu¿m¿ (licet sparsim cu¿m¿ | quada¿m¿ tame¿n¿
depende¿n¿tia) singulas materias in dece¿m¿ | libris ethicoru¿m¿
Arestotilis inuestigatas / vti summa | industria lucubranti patebit.
Impressumq¿ue¿ in cele⸗|berima vniuersitate Oxoniensi per me Iohannem
| Scolar in viculo sancti Ioannis Baptiste mora¿m¿ tra⸗|hente¿m¿ .
Anno d¿omi¿ni . M . CCCCC . decimooctauo . Men⸗|sis vero Maij die
decimoquinto . [_ornament_] | ¶ Cu¿m¿ priuilegio . | ¶ Uetitum est per
edictum sub sigillo ca¿n¿cellariatus | ne quis in septennio hoc
insigne op¿us¿ imprimat | vel aliorum ductu impensis venditet in
vni⸗|uersitate Oxonie: aut infra precinctum | eiusdem: sub pena
amissionis omnium | librorum et quinq¿ue¿ libraru¿m¿ ster⸗|lingorum
pro singulis sic ve¿n¿|ditis ubiubi impressi fue⸗|rint preter pena¿m¿
pretax⸗|atam in decreto. | ¶ Cornicum oculos configere noli.
Impr. as above, Oxf. 1518: (eights & fours) sm. 4^o: pp. [152], foll.
75 + [1], signn. A^8, B^4, C^8, D^4, E^8, F^4, G^8, H^4, I^8, K^4,
L^8, M-N^4: sign. B 1^r beg. _pertinet ad_. Contents:—p. (1) Title and
large woodcut: (2) large woodcut of the royal arms with supporters
&c.: (3–152) the work: (152) colophon, &c.
Of Johannes Dedicus (perhaps, as has been suggested by prof. H. W.
Chandler, Dethick) nothing is known. The Quaestiones extend to the end
of the 5th book of the Ethics, and the last paragraph is a summary of
the 6th.
3. *¬Laet¬, Jaspar. [at end:—] FIniunt prenostica exerpta a prenosticis
egregii viri magistri Iasparis | Laet angligenis cognitu maxime vtilia.
Et in celebe⸗|rima oxoniensi academia | [_woodcuts_] impressa
[_woodcuts_]. |
Imprint as above, Oxford, [probably 1518]: 4^o[?]: broadside.
Contents:—on 1st page, the Praenostica.
Only known from the lower half of the sheet preserved in the Cambridge
University Library, where the upper half is also believed to be.
4. ¬Lux.¬ ¶ Co¿m¿pendium questionu¿m¿ de luce et lumine [followed by a
small woodcut and the four quaestiones]. [Sign. B 4^v:—] ¶ Cum
priuilegio dignissi⸗|mi Cancellarij vniuer⸗|sitatis Oxonie. [Then a
large _woodcut_: then] ¶ Finit compendium questiuncularum de luce & de |
lumine nouiter recognitum. Impressu¿m¿q¿ue¿ in celiberi⸗|ma vniuersitate
Oxoniensi per me Ioannem Sco⸗|lar in viculo diui Ioannis baptiste moram
trahentem | Anno d¿omi¿ni . M . CCCCC . deci¿m¿ooctauo . Mensis vero |
Iunij die quinto.
Impr. as above, Oxford, 1518: sm. 4^o: pp. [16], signn. A-B^4: sign. B
1^r beg. _vt intentio_. Contents:—A 1^r, title: A 1^v-B 4^r, the work:
B 4^v, the colophon.
5. ¬Whittington¬, Robert. ¶ De heteroclitis nominibus. | ¶ Editio
Roberti Whittintoni lichfeldien|sis Grammatice magistri: et protouatis |
anglie in florentissima Oxoniensi achade|mia Laureati ⁄ de heteroclitis
nominibus | et gradibus comparat¿i¿onis. [Then _woodcut_: then a
“tetrastichon” and a “distichon.”] [Sign. B 4^v:—] [Roberti] whittintoni
lichfeldiensis de heteroclitis no|[minibus & de] gradibus
co¿m¿parationis Oxonie impressa p¿er¿ | [me Ioannem] Scolar in viculo
diui Ioannis baptiste mo|[ram tra]hentem Anno d¿omi¿ni . M . CCCCC .
decimooctauo | [M]ensis vero Iunij . die vicesimoseptimo.
Impr. as above, Oxford, 1518: sm. 4^o: pp. [16], signn. A^6, B^4:
sign. B 1^r beg. _Hic tapes_. Contents:—A 1^r, title &c. as above: A
2^r-B 4^v, the work (on B 4^v also occur a woodcut of the arms of the
University and the colophon).
Only known from an imperfect copy in the Bodleian rescued from the
binding of a book.
1519.
¬Compotus.¬ ¶ Compotus manualis | ad vsu¿m¿ Oxoniensiu¿m¿. | [_device_].
[sign. B 4^v:—] ¶ Impressum est presens opusculu¿m¿ in ce⸗|leberrima
vniuersitate Oxoniensi p¿er¿ | me Carolum Kyrfoth. In vico | diui
Joa¿n¿nis baptiste mora¿m¿ | trahe¿n¿te¿m¿ Anno d¿omi¿ni . M . D . xix.
Me¿n¿sis | vero Februarij . die V. |
Imprint as above, Oxford, 1519: sm. 4^o: pp. [16], signn. A-B^4: sign.
B 1^r beg. ¶ _Februarius_. Contents:—A 1^r, title, and woodcut: A
1^v-B 4^r, the Compotus: B 4^v, University arms and colophon.
A system of arithmetic illustrated by wood engravings of the open
hand, values being attached to each part. Panzer after Maittaire
mentions a Paris ed. of 1498 “cum commento.”
-----
Footnote 5:
For a general discussion of the circumstances of the Early Sixteenth
Century Oxford Press, see Appendix B.
Fictitious Or Lost Oxford Books.
1459–1584.
1459.
A small sheet of paper printed on the ice-bound Thames at London 18 Jan.
1716 ascribes to Oxford the first printing in England, in the year 1459.
Most of the information on the sheet is derived from Atkyns’s ©Original
and Growth of Printing© (Lond. 1664).
1461.
Printing was “practised in Oxford in 1461,” according to Randle Holmes’s
©Academy of Armory© (Chester, 1688), quoted in Bigmore, i. 337.
1469–70.
In Herbert’s Ames, iii. 1393 we read:—“In the late Tho. Osborne’s
catalogue of books for sale in June 1756, No. 1345 ‘Plinii Secundi
Epistolarum, Liber primus. Exemplar elegans, literis initial. colorat.
corio turcico, fol. deaur. lineis rubris & auro elegans ornat. 15l. 15s.
Oxon. apud F. Corsellis. 1469.’ To which is added this note, ‘Hocce
unicum est exemplar notum, a variis allegatum, et vix uni visum adeo ut
Phoenix librorum dici mereratur [_sic_], certe primus est ex libris a
Corcellis impressis, cui nomen suum adjunxerit, secundus vero ordine
omnium quos unquam ille impressit, priorem scilicet scimus fuisse,
Jeronymi Expositionem in Symbol. Apostol. Oxoniae 1468. Anno 1470, varia
idem typographus impressit Opuscula, addito in fine nomine, sed nec
unicum eorum reperitur hodie integrum. Possident quidam amatores
fragmenta aliqua poematum Latinorum, ut Gerardi Lystrii Rhenensis, &c.
Carmen Listrii lividorum hominum venenosas linguas, &c.’ This raised the
curiosity of the book collectors, who considered this article as a
confirmation of what R. Atkins had asserted about printing at Oxford.
They all flocked to Osborne’s shop, who instead of the book, produced a
letter from a man at Amsterdam, filled with frivolous excuses for not
sending them to him. They were disappointed, and looked on the whole as
a HVM; however the Plinii Epistolæ, and Ger. Listrii Oratio, &c.
afterwards appeared at an auction at Amsterdam, and were bought for the
late Dr. Ant. Askew; and were sold again at an auction of his books, by
Baker and Leigh, in Feb. 1775. Lot 2064, and 2622, to which articles are
annexed, viz. to Lot 2064, ‘Ad finem hæc verba, _Impr. Oxon. apud F.
Corsellis_, 1470, Manu recentiore exarata sunt.’ Also to lot 2622, ‘Hæc
verba, _Imprim. Oxon. ap. Corsellis_, 1469, Manu recentiore exarata
sunt.’ To those who are at all conversant in early printing, the dates
will appear at first sight a bungling forgery.” So far Herbert’s Ames,
cf. Bowyer and Nichols’s ©Origin of Printing©, 2nd ed. (Lond. 1776), p.
171. The full entry of art. 2064 is “Listrii (Ger.) Oratio habita in
Enarrationem Dionysii Halicarnassii; Dionysii Orbis expositio e Greco
tralata Prisciano interprete; Ejusdem Carmen in venenosas Linguas
Hominum, & Epicedium doctissimi Adoloscentis Ingenisissimique Petri
Thessaliensis”: sold to Mr. Dent for £2 3_s._: art. 2622 has 1569 for
1469, and was sold to Capt. Smith for £1 6_s._
* * * * *
In the Auction Catalogue of the Library of Dr. Abr. de Vries of Haarlem
(Amsterdam, Frederick Muller, 1864) art. 181 was:—“CORCELLIS.—Collection
de lettres, copies authentiques, déclarations et notices en 1756 et 57
sur l’imposture fameuse du falsaire G. SMITH, à Amsterdam et la Haye,
qui fabriqua une édition de ©Plinii epistolae©, avec souscription:
_Oxoniae_, _Corcellis_. 1469. ©Hedwigii liber© 16. ibidem. 1470, etc. et
trompa Mr. P. v. Damme et autres en Angleterre.—Recueillie et conservée
pour prouver son innocence à la falsification et annotée par Mr. v.
Damme. 12 pc. MS. Collection très-curieuse, contenant e. a. 7 lettres de
Smith à v. Damme, une lettre forgée ou falsifié du Comte de Pembroke,
une lettre de P. Burman Sec., copie d’une déclaration de Meerman, etc.
etc.” It is to be hoped that this interesting collection will be brought
to light again.
* * * * *
In the ©Monthly Miscellany, or Memoirs for the Curious© (June 1708), p.
177 it is stated that in the Bishop of Ely’s Library (now at Cambridge)
are books “of the first printing in England at Oxford in 1469.”
1480.
“Guido de Columnia de historia Trojana, per T. R. (_Theodore Rood_).
Quarto. 1480.” So Herbert’s Ames, p. 1393. The source of the error was
discovered by Cotton to be a forgery in a copy of Guido sine anno et
loco preserved in the Earl of Pembroke’s Library at Wilton (©Typ. Gaz.©,
1st ser., 2nd ed., p. 209.)
Before 1487.
“Books from the Oxford Press.... 208*. The Chronicles of England. Folio.
Lent by the Earl of Jersey.” So in the Catalogue of the Caxton
Celebration, 1877, p. 28. Some error. The reference is no doubt to
Caxton’s Chronicle of England, printed in 1482.
1489.
When Cotton printed his ©Typographical Gazetteer©, 2nd series, (Oxf.
1866) he believed that an Indulgence of 1489 (altered to 1499), in the
Library of Trinity College, Dublin, was printed at Oxford. It is “a
small broadside on vellum, consisting of 24 lines only, printed very
closely and occupying a space of about nine inches by six.” The
Indulgence is from Johannes de Gigliis alias de Liliis Apostolicus
Subdiaconus, granted by Pope Innocent iii: and is dated 1499, there
being no name of place or date of printing. There is no doubt that
Cotton was mistaken in attributing this piece to the Oxford press.
1498.
1. Bagford, in his inaccurate way, gives the title of an edition of the
Greek text of the Ethics of Aristotle by Aretinus “Oxon. 1498” (Brit.
Mus. MS. Harl. 5901, fol. 3). He mentions the 1479 edition of the Latin
text separately, but the former date can only be due to some confusion
with the latter.
2. The Rufinus of 1468 appears as dated 1498 in Panzer, who quotes
Schoenemann i. 585, and also in Migne’s ©Patrologia Latina©, xxi. col.
17.
1499.
Indulgence: see 1489.
1500.