o be printed by Reyser, towards the end of the fifteenth
century; and of which there is a copy in the Public Library, as well as
another in that of Strasbourg. To the antiquary, this may be a curious
book. I mention it again,[18] in order to notice the name and seal of
"Iohannes Fabri,--clericus Maguntin diocesz publicus imperiali auctoritate
notarius, &c. Scriba iuratus"--which occur at about one fourth part of the
work: as I am desirous of knowing whether this man be the same, or related
to the, printer so called, who published the _Ethics of Cato_ in 1477?--of
which book I omitted to mention a copy in the Public Library here.[19]
Bound up with this volume is Fyner's edition of _P. Niger contra perfidos
Iudaeos_, 1475, folio. Fyner lived at Eislingen, in the neighbourhood of
this place, and it is natural to find specimens of his press here. The
_Stella Meschiah_ of 1477, is here cruelly cropt, and bound in the usually
barbarous manner, with a mustard-coloured sprinkling upon the edges of the
leaves. _Historie von der Melusina:_ a singular volume, in the German
language, printed without date, in a thin folio. It is a book perfectly _a
la_ Douce; full of whimsical and interesting wood cuts, which I do not
remember to have seen in any other ancient volume. From the conclusion of
the text, it appears to have been composed or finished in 1446, but I
suspect the date of its typographical execution to be that of 1480 at the
earliest.
I looked about sharply for fine, old, mellow-tinted _Alduses:_--but to no
purpose. Yet I must notice a pretty little Aldine _Petrarch_ of 1521, 12mo.
bound with _Sannazarius de partu Virginis_, by the same printer, in 1527,
12mo.: in old stamped binding--but somewhat cropt. The leaves of both
copies crackle lustily on turning them over. These, also, from the
Weingarth monastery. I noticed a beautiful little Petrarch of 1546, 8vo.
with the commentary of Velutellus; having a striking device of Neptune in
the frontispiece: but no _membranaceous_ articles, of this character and
period, came across my survey.
I cannot, however, take leave of the Royal Library (a collection which I
should think must contain 15,000 volumes) without expressing my obligations
for the unrestricted privilege of examination afforded me by those who had
the superintendance of it. But I begin to be wearied, and it is growing
late. The account of the "court-levee," and the winding up of other
Stuttgart matters, must be reser
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