Dibdin, Thomas Frognall; Spencer, George John [Bearb.]: 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 3) (London, 1814) [Cicognara, 4650-3]

Without JDate.]

EUSEBIUS.

307

684. Eusebius. Chronicon. Latine. (Printed hy
Philip de Lavagnad) JVithout Place, or Date.
Quarto.

Editio Princeps. Saxius, Apostolo Zeno, Clenient, and Seemiller,
all unite in noticing the beauty and rarity of this first impression of
the Latin Version ofthe Chronicle of Eusebius, by St. Jerom. Clement
is copious and interesting; but Saxius had been, before, exceedingly
particular. This latter bibliographer (and Hambergerus and Denis
after him) supposes, with apparent reason, that the edition was printed
‘ about the year 1475—as Lavania first began to print in 1473, and
Mombritius undertook this edition among his earliest labors.’ Hist. Lit.
Typog. Mediol. p. dcviii-ix, note (h); Bibl. Curieuse, vol. viii, p. 170;
Ineunab. Typog. fasc. i. p. 79. Eresnoy had inaccurately observed that
this edition was printed about the year 1470. ‘ Although rare (says

he) it is inferior in correctness to those of Pontac and Scaliger.’ Mdthod.
pour Etud. VHist. vol. x. p. 131. These latter editors were, however,
entirely ignorant of it—according to Apostolo Zeno : * La sudetta edi-
zione della Cronaca Eusebiana, fatta dal Mombrizio, b di una singolare
rarita, non essendo stata veduta nb dallo Scaligero, ne dal Pontaco nelle
accurate impressioni, che fecero della medesima.’ Clement; Ibid.
Uffenbach has made a very strange blunder in supposing that this
volume was executed soon after the discovery of the invention of
printing.’ Bibl. XJssenb. vol. ii. Appx. p. 124.*' , We proceed to describe
this estimable impression.

On the reverse of the first leaf is the address of Boninus Mombritius
* sequentium voluminum lectori.’ Three sets of verses, by the same
editor, follow this address ; which will be found copied by Saxius and
Clement. On the recto of the succeeding leaf, beneath a pious adju-
ration to preserve the text as inviolate as possible, we read this prefix:

* Mauro Boni, and Gamba speak of the rarity and beauty of this edition, and of its
similarity, in typographical character, to the Solinus—of which particular mer.tion is made
at p. 362 of vol. ii—but they are greatly mistaken in supposing it to liave been printed
before the year 1469 : ‘ Prima e correttissima edizione, che si ha delie ragioni di credere
anteriore al 1363 ’ Bibl. Portatile, vol. i. p. 313.