Dibdin, Thomas Frognall; Spencer, George John [Oth.]: Bibliotheca Spenceriana: or a descriptive catalogue of the books printed in the fifteenth century, and of many valuable first editions, in the library of George John Earl Spencer (Band 1) (London, 1814) [Cicognara, 4650-1]

LATIN BIBLES

11

11. Biblia Latina Vulgata. Printed hy Fust

and Schoeffer. Mentz. 1462. Folio. 2 vols.

Of all known impressions of tbe Bible, tbe present is the most cele-
brated among’ bibliographers : ' famigeratissima et magnificentissima
illa Biblia Latina, 1462,’ says the preface to a distinguished catalogue
in its day.* It is the first edition which bears the name of a printer, and
the place and year of its execution; and it. has uniformly been sold,
especially when upon vellum, for larger sums than the anterior and
subsecjuent editions. The perfection of its workmanship is universally
acknowledged. We will first describe it somewhat particularly.

At the top of the first column, on the recto of the first leaf, com-
mences the Epistle of St. Jerom; the two lines, forming the prefix,
being printed in red :

SJncip epi’a £ct ifjcronimi ab pauUnti g£fiite^
ru: tie amifiJ tiiuiite gijsftorie litirio. ca. gmu-

Hlater amlirogiu^ tua
micgi munuocula gfe^
rcn£. tictulit £imul et
guauifgimag ifao: q a
gneigio* amicicia2f
tiem. pfiate iam fitiei:
et foeterig amcicief no^

The first chapter of Genesis commences on the recto of the 4th leaf;
and the first volume terminates with the Psalter: ' dEtpItCit psalteriu?
which two words are printed in red. Beneath, is the imprint and
device, thus:

* Bibl. Sarraziana; 1715, 8vo. p. 9. An equally animated eulogy upon it will bc
found in Spoerlius’s Notit, Insig. Typog. p. 22, 1730. 4to.

+ Thus in the original.