DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.30698#0411
373
Chronicle; 1483.] ABBEY OF ST. ALBAN.
This brief extract is almost a sufficient specimen of the extremely
barbarous state of orthography, by which the present and subsequent
works, printed at St. Alban’s, are distinguished. The author of the
translation, or composition, is not yet satisfactorily known. There are
many peculiarities to be noticed in this impression. The running
titles are sufficiently whimsical. ‘ H3ars Iprtma ’ occupies each side of
the leaves as far as b ij ; when, on the recto of that signature, we
observe the arabic numeral 1 ; and, on the reverse, only JPa. This
kind of title continues till we come to b vij ; when the word ‘ 2lbion, ’
and the numeral 1 (for the first part) appear on the recto of it, and
‘ aifhon' on the reverse : again, on b viij, recto, we read ‘ ©aro
©rima 2IBton, ’ and the same on the reverse — while on c i, recto, we
observe ‘ 'Brute’ and ‘.2.’ as the running title. To enumerate
every similar peculiarity would be both endless and useless : but it may
be necessary to remark that the Parts are, afterwards, designated by
arabic numerals, on the recto, and by the contraction of ©0 (for IParo)
on the reverse, of each leaf: these are sometimes accompanied by
running titles, mentioning the subject matter* discoursed of, and some-
times they are without such accompaniment. The signatures are
printed on each of the S leaves to each letter ; a plan, which Machlinia
adopted, but which is of very rare occui'rence. Herbert remarks that
the initial letters to each section or chapter, are, with the exceptions
of those ‘ to the Prologue and the first of the Chronicle—printed in red:
the first he had seen.’ In the copy before us, even these letters are in
red; but whether, like all the others, they be printed, or executed by
means of a stensil, f is probably a point of uncertainty. There can be
no doubt, however, that the words, surrounding, and beneath, the wood-
cut—at a vj, recto—a vij, reverse—c iiij, reverse*—• d vij, reverse—and
in the centre of the cut, on c vj, reverse— are absolutely printed in red.
These cuts do not deserve the name of ornament. They are bare I’ude
outlines : and a single house is made to represent London, or Rome. A
coarse Cross strikes the eye on f viij, recto: representing that upon
which our Saviour was executed.
It may be necessary to observe that this Chronicle is more voluminous
than the one printed by Caxton, and afterwards reprinted by Machlinia
* On d i to d iij we liave the account of ‘ Kyng Leih This account, collated with the
same in Caxton’s Chronicle, was furnished by me to tlie British Bibliographer; vol. ii.
p. 578-582.
t In the copy under description, the first letter to the prologue and to the commencemeut
of the text are unquestionably an after-production : inserted by the pencil.
Chronicle; 1483.] ABBEY OF ST. ALBAN.
This brief extract is almost a sufficient specimen of the extremely
barbarous state of orthography, by which the present and subsequent
works, printed at St. Alban’s, are distinguished. The author of the
translation, or composition, is not yet satisfactorily known. There are
many peculiarities to be noticed in this impression. The running
titles are sufficiently whimsical. ‘ H3ars Iprtma ’ occupies each side of
the leaves as far as b ij ; when, on the recto of that signature, we
observe the arabic numeral 1 ; and, on the reverse, only JPa. This
kind of title continues till we come to b vij ; when the word ‘ 2lbion, ’
and the numeral 1 (for the first part) appear on the recto of it, and
‘ aifhon' on the reverse : again, on b viij, recto, we read ‘ ©aro
©rima 2IBton, ’ and the same on the reverse — while on c i, recto, we
observe ‘ 'Brute’ and ‘.2.’ as the running title. To enumerate
every similar peculiarity would be both endless and useless : but it may
be necessary to remark that the Parts are, afterwards, designated by
arabic numerals, on the recto, and by the contraction of ©0 (for IParo)
on the reverse, of each leaf: these are sometimes accompanied by
running titles, mentioning the subject matter* discoursed of, and some-
times they are without such accompaniment. The signatures are
printed on each of the S leaves to each letter ; a plan, which Machlinia
adopted, but which is of very rare occui'rence. Herbert remarks that
the initial letters to each section or chapter, are, with the exceptions
of those ‘ to the Prologue and the first of the Chronicle—printed in red:
the first he had seen.’ In the copy before us, even these letters are in
red; but whether, like all the others, they be printed, or executed by
means of a stensil, f is probably a point of uncertainty. There can be
no doubt, however, that the words, surrounding, and beneath, the wood-
cut—at a vj, recto—a vij, reverse—c iiij, reverse*—• d vij, reverse—and
in the centre of the cut, on c vj, reverse— are absolutely printed in red.
These cuts do not deserve the name of ornament. They are bare I’ude
outlines : and a single house is made to represent London, or Rome. A
coarse Cross strikes the eye on f viij, recto: representing that upon
which our Saviour was executed.
It may be necessary to observe that this Chronicle is more voluminous
than the one printed by Caxton, and afterwards reprinted by Machlinia
* On d i to d iij we liave the account of ‘ Kyng Leih This account, collated with the
same in Caxton’s Chronicle, was furnished by me to tlie British Bibliographer; vol. ii.
p. 578-582.
t In the copy under description, the first letter to the prologue and to the commencemeut
of the text are unquestionably an after-production : inserted by the pencil.