DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.7597#0235
202
SPECULUM HUMANAE SALVATIONIS. [chap.
course of his operations, became informed of the method of printing
with moveable characters, or himself discovered it.
But even supposing this to be certain, which I shall presently
shew is very far from being the case, it would go but a little way in
support of Heineken's opinion, that the Latin Speculum, and the
first editions of all the block-books which he describes, are the pro-
ductions of Germany.
The arguments in favour of the priority of the Latin edition in
which the text is in part printed from engraved blocks, appear indeed
so strong, that, on first considering the subject, I felt little difficulty
in joining with the great majority of bibliographical writers in the
opinion, or rather conviction, that that edition was really the most
ancient. Accident, however, put me in possession of undoubted
evidence that such was not the case; and the axiom, that one proof
is worth a dozen arguments, was strikingly exemplified. For an
opportunity chanced to offer to me of comparing two very fine copies
of the Speculum;—one, of the Latin edition above-mentioned,—the
other, of what is commonly termed the second Dutch edition; * when
I most unexpectedly discovered that the impressions of the cuts, in
the Dutch copy, had been taken off previously to those in the Latin
copy; and, consequently, that the Dutch is the oldest of the two.
This was ascertained, beyond the possibility of doubt, by a very
careful comparison of many of the cuts in the two copies; for,
although, upon a first view, the impressions in both appeared equally
perfect, I perceived, upon a minute examination, that several of
those in the Latin edition had been taken off after certain little
pieces of the engraved blocks, some of them in the central parts
of the compositions, had been broken away by the operation of
printing them; whereas in the Dutch copy, the impressions of those
little pieces were complete.
* They were the property of the late of Blandford. Lord Spencer has since bought
Ralph Willett, Esq. The Latin copy, shortly the Dutch copy,
after I saw it, was purchased by the Marquis
SPECULUM HUMANAE SALVATIONIS. [chap.
course of his operations, became informed of the method of printing
with moveable characters, or himself discovered it.
But even supposing this to be certain, which I shall presently
shew is very far from being the case, it would go but a little way in
support of Heineken's opinion, that the Latin Speculum, and the
first editions of all the block-books which he describes, are the pro-
ductions of Germany.
The arguments in favour of the priority of the Latin edition in
which the text is in part printed from engraved blocks, appear indeed
so strong, that, on first considering the subject, I felt little difficulty
in joining with the great majority of bibliographical writers in the
opinion, or rather conviction, that that edition was really the most
ancient. Accident, however, put me in possession of undoubted
evidence that such was not the case; and the axiom, that one proof
is worth a dozen arguments, was strikingly exemplified. For an
opportunity chanced to offer to me of comparing two very fine copies
of the Speculum;—one, of the Latin edition above-mentioned,—the
other, of what is commonly termed the second Dutch edition; * when
I most unexpectedly discovered that the impressions of the cuts, in
the Dutch copy, had been taken off previously to those in the Latin
copy; and, consequently, that the Dutch is the oldest of the two.
This was ascertained, beyond the possibility of doubt, by a very
careful comparison of many of the cuts in the two copies; for,
although, upon a first view, the impressions in both appeared equally
perfect, I perceived, upon a minute examination, that several of
those in the Latin edition had been taken off after certain little
pieces of the engraved blocks, some of them in the central parts
of the compositions, had been broken away by the operation of
printing them; whereas in the Dutch copy, the impressions of those
little pieces were complete.
* They were the property of the late of Blandford. Lord Spencer has since bought
Ralph Willett, Esq. The Latin copy, shortly the Dutch copy,
after I saw it, was purchased by the Marquis