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]

450

MISCELLANEOUS. [Marsipoli; 1473.

744. Orosius. Qujestiones. Vrinted hy Lucas
JBrandis. Marsipoli. 1473. Quarto.

This is a volume of equal beauty and rarity; and is among the very
earliest productions of the press of Lucas Brandis, a name that does
not frequently occur in the annals of typography. The type is a mix-
ture of that of Koburger and Creussner; but preferable to either.
The paper is delicate, and of a pleasing tint. Upon the whole, it may
be questioned whether a much more desirable specimen of early
printing can be procured. The recto of the first leaf contains a full
page (23 lines), and has this prefix :

3intipiunt qucstionca #togii afc fccatu
gu£tmu oSpijscopum pgoncnsc$ $tologug*

The margin of the first page has a capital letter A, and that of the
third page has the capital letter B; but I observe no other similar
peculiarity. On the reverse of the 29th and last leaf, we read this
particular eolophon :

Irinit iitscr tJcati ^sugugtitti ppo^
ncnsig cpitscopi Oc gucgtionifJug
oto’sp % iuca firantJi.9 cr opiijo
ttcic$sc£ pgcnito #unc aut triJC
ntarsipoii commancnth artc imgs
soria in mctJium fciicitcr tictiitu^

3snno a partu uirginis saiutifcro
St^iiic.simo quatiringcntcsimoscp
tuagcsimotcrcio |j5ona.S ucro au
gu^ti quinto
£Deo «5ratiag.

Panzer, vol. ii. p. 10, says that this colophon is succeeded by 8 verses—
which he quotes: but no such vei'ses are to be found in the present
copy—and none are specified by Denis, p. 21, n°. 115. Panzer also
quotes Gesner, p. 29. This is a beautiful copy: in blue morocco
binding.