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 4) (London, 1815) [Cicognara, 4650-4]

364

BOOKS PRINTED IN THE

[Liber

Let the typographical antiquary minutely inspect t.his type (making
allowance for the inevitable slips and deviations of the best executed
fac-similes) with that of the foregoing work (of which there is also a
fac-simile) and I think the inference he must draw will be in confor-
mity with that of Lord Spencer; who considers the same printers to
have executed the present and the preceding article.* To strengthen
such inference, I subjoin a fac-simile of the colophon, on the recto of
? iij, the last leaf in the volume:

tyym tfyeboke

tatie callitn ftfciuaU.

egctc ofoute lotUi JWi
ccccdpppVbfyebaz afUv
femt CJ>tpart> #efegtt&

*

Eefore, however, we dismiss the notice of this extraordinary volume,
and as exhibiting a further specimen of the state of art in our own
country, as well as of the taste of the early Oxford printers, I submit
a fac-simile of one of the larger wood-cuts, f occasionally introduced

* A comparison of the paper upon which the Phalaius and the Festival are printed,
shews us that the paper of the former is browner in tirit and coarser iu texture. It also
exhibits a different water wark. The former lias a hand, the latter a coat of arms. There
is nothing, however, from such deviation, to militate against the above conclusion: as there
cannot be a more fallacious (yet more common) mode of ascertaining similarity of typogra-
phical productions, than that of comparing the water-marks of paper. The presses of
Bamherg, Mentz, and Cologne, exhibit the same water-mark.

t Perliaps it may not be unacceptable to specify, hriefly, the order and character of tbe
cuts in this volume. On the reverse of d viy, a space is left at the top of the first column,
as if a cut liad been destined to fill it. On the recto of e iij, at top of the first column, is a
small and crowded cut, representing the Descent of' the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.
It is in character, as to execution, like the small one first above given.' The same cut again
appears on tlie following leaf but one. On f ij, reverse, is that of which the first fac-simile
above appears. On h i, recto, are two small cuts of St. Andrew. On h v, reverse, is a cut
of St. Nicliolas ; above given. On i v, reverse, is one of the larger cuts—descriptive of the
murder ofSt. Thomas tlie Apostle. The surrounding frame work is much broken. On k vij,
recto, is the murder of St. Stephen, above given. This is among the most perfect and best
executed in the volume. On 1 ij, recto, is a very rude cut of St. John the Evangelist. He
is drinking with his right hand, and holding a palm-branch in his lefit; to the right of him,
a figure is falling prostrate, as if cast down from an eminence; to the left is seen a portion
of another figure, prostrate, having the slioulders and liead severed—as if by the terminat-
ing line of the frame work. The three trees in the back ground are executed in the
horizontal manner. On I vj, recto, is the murder of the Innocents, before Ilerod, who is
seated on his throne, One man, to the Ieft, lias run his sword through a cliild’s body—when