Thomas Frognall Dibdin - A Bibliographical, Antiquarian and Picturesque Tour in France and Germany, Volume Three

T >> Thomas Frognall Dibdin >> A Bibliographical, Antiquarian and Picturesque Tour in France and Germany, Volume Three

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... voices, through the void deep sounding, seize
Th'enthusiastic ear!

But SKELL must not be deprived of his share of praise in the construction
of this interesting pleasure ground. He was the principal active
superintendant; and is considered to have had a thorough knowledge of
_optical effect_ in the construction of his vistas and lawns. A Chinese
pagoda, a temple to Apollo--and a monument to Gessner, the pastoral
poet--the two latter embosomed in a wood--are the chief objects of
attraction on the score of art. But the whole is very beautiful, and much
superior to any thing of the kind which I have seen since leaving England.

I told you, at the beginning of this letter, that it was market-day when we
arrived here. Mr. Lewis, who loses no opportunity of adding to the stores
of his sketch book, soon transferred a group of MARKET PEOPLE to his paper,
of which you are here favoured with a highly finished copy. The
countenances, as well as the dresses, are strongly indicative of the
general character of the German women.

[Illustration]

I was surprised to be told, the other day, that the city of Munich,
although lying upon a flat, apparently of several miles in circumference,
is nevertheless situated upon very lofty ground:--full twelve or thirteen
hundred feet above the level of the sea--and that the snow-charged blasts,
from the Tyrolese mountains, towards the end of autumn, render it at times
exceedingly cold and trying to the constitution. But I must now revert to
the city, and proceed at once to an account of the most interesting of ALL
the public edifices at Munich--in my very humble, and perhaps capricious,
estimation. Of course you will instantly catch at what I mean. "What, BUT
the edifice which contains THE PUBLIC LIBRARY?" 'Tis wisely conjectured;
and to this boundless region of books, of almost every age and description,
let us instantly resort: first paying our respects to the Directors and
Librarians of the establishment.

Of the former, the BARON VON MOLL, and MR. FREDERIC SCHLICHTEGROLL are
among the principal: of the latter, Messrs. SCHERER and BERNHARD have the
chief superintendence: of all these gentlemen, more in my next.[47] At
present, suffice it to say, that I was constantly and kindly attended
during my researches by M. Bernhard--who proved himself in the frequent
discussions, and sometimes little controversies, which we had together, to
be one of the very best bibliographers I had met upon the continent. In the
bibliographical lore of the fifteenth century, he has scarcely a superior:
and I only regretted my utter ignorance of the German language, which
prevented my making myself acquainted with his treatises, upon certain
early Latin and German Bibles, written in that tongue. But it was his
kindness--his diffidence--his affability, and unremitting attention--which
called upon me for every demonstration of a sense of the obligations I was
under. It will not be easy for me to forget, either the kind-hearted
attentions or the bibliographical erudition of M. Bernhard ...

"Quae me cunque vocant terrae."

Be it known to you therefore, my good friend, that the PUBLIC LIBRARY at
MUNICH is attached to what was once the _College of Jesuits_; and to which
the beautiful church, described in a few preceding pages, belonged. On the
suppression of the order of Jesuits, the present building was devoted to it
by Charles Theodore in 1784: a man, who, in more than this one sense, has
deserved well of his country. Would you believe it? They tell me that there
are at least _half a hundred_ rooms filled by books and MSS. of one kind or
other--including duplicates--and that they suppose the library contains
nearer _four_, than _three hundred thousand volumes_! I scarcely know how
to credit this; although I can never forget the apparently interminable
succession of apartments--in straight lines, and in rectangular lines:
floor upon floor: even to the very summit of the building, beneath the
slanting roofs--such as I had seen at Stuttgart. But _here_ it should seem
as if every monastery throughout Bavaria had emptied itself of its
book-treasures ... to be poured into this enormous reservoir.

But I will now begin my labours in good earnest. An oblong, narrow,
boudoir-sort of apartment, contains the more precious MSS., the block
books, and works printed upon vellum. This room is connected with another,
at right angles, (if I remember well) which receives the more valuable
works of the fifteenth century--the number of which latter, alone, are said
to amount to nearly _twenty thousand_. In such a farrago, there must
necessarily be an abundance of trash. These, however, are how under a
strict assortment, or classification; and I think that I saw not fewer than
half a dozen assistants, under the direction of M. Bernhard, hard at work
in the execution of this desirable task.

LATIN MS. OF THE GOSPELS; _in small folio_. I have no hesitation in
ascribing this MS. to the ninth century. It is replete with evidences of
this, or even of an earlier, period. It is executed in capital letters of
silver and gold, about a quarter of an inch in height, upon a purple
ground. Of course the MS. is upon vellum. The beginning of the text is
entirely obliterated; but on the recto of the XVth leaf we read "_Explt
Breuiarium_."

LATIN MS. of the GOSPELS; in _large folio_. This is a more superb, but more
recent, MS. than the preceding. Yet I suspect it to be not much later than
the very early part of the eleventh century. It is executed in a large,
lower-case, roman letter: somewhat bordering upon the Gothic. But the
binding, at the very outset, is too singular and too resplendent to be
overlooked. The first side of it has the crucifixion, in a sort of
parallelogram frame work--in the centre: surrounded by a double arabesque,
or Greek border, of a most beautiful form. The whole is in ivory, of a
minute and surprisingly curious workmanship. The draperies partake of the
character of late Roman art. Round this central ivory piece of carving, is
a square, brass border, with the following inscription; which, from the
character of the capital letters, (for it is wholly composed of such) is
comparatively quite modern:

GRAMMATA QVI QVERIT COGNOSCERE VERE
HOC MATHESIS PLENE QVADRATVM PLAVDAT HABERE
EN QUI VERACES SOPHIE FULSERE SEQUACES
ORNAT PERFECTAM REX HEINRICH STEMMATE SECTAM.

In the outer border are precious stones, and portraits, with inscriptions
in Greek capital letters. These portraits and inscriptions seem to me to be
perfect, but barbarous, specimens of Byzantine art. Around the whole are
the titles of the Four Gospels in coeval capital letters. The general
effect of this first side of the book-cover, or binding, is perfect--for
antiquarian genuineness and costliness. The other side of the binding
contains representations of the cardinal virtues, in brass, with the lamb
in the centre: but they are comparatively modern. The interior of this book
does not quite accord with its exterior. It is in pure condition, in every
respect; but the art is rather feeble and barbarous. The titles to the
Gospels are executed upon a purple ground. The larger subjects, throughout
the illuminations, are executed with freedom, but the touch is heavy and
the effect weak. The gold back grounds are rather sound than resplendent.
Yet is this MS., upon the whole, a most costly and precious volume.

LATIN PSALTER. Probably of the latter part of the twelfth century. The text
is executed in a lower-case gothic. In the Calendar of Saints are found the
names of Edward the Martyr, Cuthbert, Guthlac, Etheldrith, and Thomas a
Becket. I think I am fully justified in calling this one of the richest,
freshest, and most highly ornamented PSALTERS in existence. The
illuminations are endless, and seem to comprise the whole history of the
Bible. In the representations of armour, we observe the semicircular and
slightly depressed helmet, and no nasels. I must now lay before you a MS.
of a very different description--called

The ROMANCE OF SIR TRISTRANT;[48] in verse. This ms. is wholly in the
German language; written in the XIIIth century, and containing fifteen
illuminations. M. Scherer, the Head Librarian, was so obliging as to
furnish me with an account of it; having himself translated, as literally
as possible, the original text into our own language.

I shall now put together a few miscellaneous notices, taken, like all the
preceding, from the articles themselves--and which you will find to relate
chiefly to books of Missals and Offices, &c. I shall begin, however, with a
highly illuminated MS. called

The TWELVE SIBYLS. This beautiful book is doubtless of the XVth century. It
begins with a representation of the "_Sibila Persica_." The principal merit
of these illuminations may, by some, be thought to consist in their
_freshness_; but others will not fail to remark, that the accompaniments of
these figures, such as the chairs on which they sit, and the pillars which
form the frame work of the pieces, are designed and executed in a style of
art worthy of the Florentine School of this period. Every Sibyl is
succeeded by a scriptural subject. If the faces of these figures were a
little more animated and intelligent, this book would be a charming
specimen of art of the XVth century. The _Erythraean Sibyl_ holds a white
rose very prettily in her left hand. The _Agrippinian Sibyl_ holds a whip
in her left hand, and is said "to have prophesied XXX years concerning the
flagellation of Christ." This volume is a thin quarto, in delightful
condition; bound in yellow morocco, but a _sufferer_ by the binding.

A CALENDAR. This is a pretty little duodecimo volume, containing also short
prayers to Christ; and embellished by a representation of the several
months in the calendar. Each illumination has a border, and its apposite
characteristic subject attached to the month. Among the latter, those of
October and November are vigorously touched and warmly finished. A picture
of the Deluge follows December. The scription is in a neat roman character.
This book is bound in lilac velvet, with silver clasps, and preserved in a
yellow morocco case.

OFFICE OF THE VIRGIN. An exquisite little octavo or rather duodecimo; bound
in silver, with coloured ornaments inlaid. The writing, in small roman,
shews an Italian calligraphist. The vellum is white, and of the most
beautiful quality. The text is surrounded by flowers, fruits, insects,
animals, &c. The initial letters are sparkling, and ornamented in the
arabesque manner. But the compositions, or scriptural subjects, are the
most striking. Among the more beautiful specimens of high finishing, is the
figure of Joseph--with the Virgin and Child--after the subject of the
Circumcision. Upon the whole, the colours are probably too vivid. The
subjects seem to be copies of larger paintings; and there is a good deal of
French feeling and French taste in their composition. The rogue of a binder
has shewn his love of cropping in this exquisite little volume. The date of
1574 is upon the binding.

MISSAL: beginning with the _Oratio devota ad faciem dni nostri ihu
xpi_--A most exquisite volume in 8vo.: bound in black fish skin, with
silver clasps of an exceedingly graceful form, washed with gold, and
studded with rubies, emeralds, and other coloured stones. The head of
Christ, with a globe in his hand, faces the beginning of the text. This
figure has a short chin, like many similar heads which I have seen: but the
colours are radiant, and the border, in which our Saviour is bearing his
cross, below, is admirably executed. The beginning of St. John's Gospel
follows. The principal subjects have borders, upon a gray or gold ground,
on which flowers are most beautifully painted: and some of the subjects
themselves, although evidently of Flemish composition, are most brilliantly
executed. There is great nature, and vigour of touch, in the priests
chanting, while others are performing the offices of religion. The
_Annunciation_ is full of tenderness and richness; and, in the _Christ in
the manger_--from whose countenance, while lying upon the straw, the light
emanates and shines with such beauty upon the face of the Virgin--we see
the origin perhaps of that effect which has conferred such celebrity upon
the NOTTE of CORREGIO. What gives such a thorough charm to this book, is,
the grace, airiness, and truth of the flowers--scattered, as it were, upon
the margins by the hand of a faery. They have perhaps suffered somewhat by
time: but they are truth and tenderness itself. The writing is a large
handsome square gothic.

OFFICE OF THE VIRGIN: bound in massive silver--highly ornamented, in the
arabesque manner, and washed with gold. The back is most ingeniously
contrived. But if the exterior be so attractive, the interior is not less
so--for such a sweetly, and minutely ornamented, book, is hardly to be
seen. The margins are very large and the text is very small: only about
fifteen lines, by about one inch and three quarters wide. Upon seeing the
margins, M. Scherer, the head-librarian, exclaimed, "I hope that satisfies
you!" But they are by no means disproportionate--and the extraordinary
colour and quality of the vellum render them enchanting. We come now to the
ornaments. These are clusters of small flowers, strung in a pearl-like
manner, and formed or grouped into the most pleasing and tasteful shapes.
The figures are small, with a well indicated outline. How pretty are the
little subjects at the foot of each month of the Calendar! And how totally
different from the common-place stiffness, and notorious dullness, of the
generality of Flemish pieces of this character! This book has no superior
of its kind in Europe; and is worthy, on a small scale, of what we see in
the superb folios of Matthias Corvinus.[49]

A BOOK OF PRAYERS--almost entirely spoilt by damp and rottenness within. I
should think, from the writing and illuminations, it was executed between
the years 1450 and 1480. The outside is here the principal attraction. It
is a very ancient massive binding, in silver. On each side is a sacred
subject; but on that, where the Crucifixion is represented, the figure to
the right has considerable expression. At the bottom of each compartment
are the arms of Bavaria and of the Dukes of Milan. This is a precious
treasure in its way.

The present is probably the proper place to notice the _principal gem_--in
the department of illuminated books of devotion--preserved in the Royal
Library at Munich:--I mean, what is called, ALBERT DURER'S PRAYER BOOK.
This consists merely of a set of marginal embellishments in a small folio
volume, of which the text, written in a very large lower-case gothic
letter, forms the central part. These embellishments are said to be by the
hand of ALBERT DURER: although, if I mistake not, there is a similar
production, or continuation, by LUCAS CRANACH. They are executed in colours
of bistre, green, purple, or pink; with a very small portion of shadow--and
apparently with a reed pen. Nothing can exceed the spirit of their
conception, the vigour of their touch, and the truth both of their drawing
and execution. They consist chiefly of _capriccios_, accompanied by the
figure or figures of four Saints, &c. They afford one addition to the very
many proofs, which I have already seen, of the surprising talents of Albert
Durer: and, if I remember rightly; this very volume has been lithographised
at Munich, and published in our own country.[50]

Descending lower in the chronological order of my researches, I now come to
the notice of four very splendid and remarkable folio volumes, comprising
only the text of the SEVEN PENITENTIAL PSALMS: and which exhibit
extraordinary proofs of the united skill of the _Scribe_, the _Musician_,
the _Painter_, and the _Book Binder_--all engaged in the execution of these
volumes. Of each of these artists, there is a PORTRAIT; but among them,
none please my fancy so much as that of GASPAR RITTER, the book-binder. All
these portraits are executed in body colour, in a slight but bold manner,
and appear to me to be much inferior to the general style of art in the
smaller and historical compositions, illustrative of the text of the book.
But Gaspar Ritter well merits a distinct notice; for these volumes display
the most perfect style of binding, which I have yet seen, of the sixteenth
century. They are in red morocco, variegated with colours, and secured by
clasps. Every thing about them is firm, square, knowing and complete. The
artist, or painter, to whom these volumes are indebted for their chief
attraction, was John MIELICH; a name, of which I suspect very little is
known in England. His portrait bears the date of 1570.

Looking fairly through these volumes--not for the sake of finding fault, or
of detecting little lapses from accuracy of drawing, or harmony of
composition--I do not hesitate one moment to pronounce the series of
embellishments, which they contain, perfectly unrivalled--as the production
of the same pencil. Their great merit consists in a prodigious freedom of
touch and boldness of composition. The colouring seems to be purposely made
subordinate. Figures the most minute, and actions the most difficult to
express, are executed in a ready, off-hand manner, strongly indicative, of
the masterly powers of the artist. The subjects are almost interminable in
number, and endless in variety.

I shall now proceed at once to an account of the xylographical productions,
or of BLOCK BOOKS in the public library of this place; and shall begin with
a work, of which (according to my present recollection) no writer hath yet
taken notice. It is a _Life of Christ_, in small quarto, measuring scarcely
five inches by four. The character of the type is between that of Pfister
and the Mazarine Bible, although rather more resembling the latter. Each
side of the leaf has text, or wood cut embellishments. The first eight
pages contain fifteen lines in a page: the succeeding two pages only
thirteen lines; but the greater number of the pages have fourteen lines.

It is precisely the dotted ground, in the draperies, that impresses me with
a notion of the antiquity of these cuts. Such a style of art is seen in all
the earlier efforts of wood engraving, such as the _St. Bernardinus_
belonging to M. Van-Praet, and the prints pasted within the covers of Mr.
George Nicol's matchless copy of the Mazarine Bible, upon vellum, in its
original binding.[51] M. Bernhard also shewed me, from his extraordinary
collection of early prints, taken from the old MS. volumes in this library,
several of this precise character; and to which we may, perhaps with
safety, assign the date of 1460 at the latest. I have been particular in
the account of this curious little volume, not so much because it is kept
in a case, and considered to be _unique_, as because, to the best of my
recollection, no account of it is to be found in any bibliographical
publication.

EXHORTATION AGAINST THE TURKS, &c.: of the supposed date of 1455. This is
the singular tract, of which Baron Aretin (the late head librarian of this
establishment) published an entire fac-simile; and which, from the date of
M.cccc.lv appearing at the bottom line of the first page, was conceived to
be of that period. M. Bernhard, however,--in an anonymous pamphlet--proved,
from some local and political circumstances introduced, or referred to, in
the month of _December_--in the Calendar attached to this exhortation--that
the _genuine_ date should rather be 1472. This brochure is also considered
to be unique. It is a small quarto, of six leaves only, of which the first
leaf is blank. The type is completely in the form of that of Pfister, and
the paper is unusually thick. At the bottom of the first leaf it is
observed, in ms. "_Liber eximiae raritatis et inter cimelia bibliothecae
asservandus. F. Er_."

ARS MEMORANDI, &c. Here are not fewer than _five copies_ of this well
known--and perhaps first--effort of block-book printing. These are of the
earliest dates, yet with trifling variations. The wood cuts in all the
copies are coloured; some more heavily than others; and in one of them you
observe, in the figure of St. Matthew, that red or crimson glossy wash, or
colour, so common in the earliest prints--and which is here carried over
the whole figure. One of these five copies is unbound.

ARS MORIENDI. Here are two editions, of which one copy is indisputably the
most ancient--like that in Lord Spencer's library,[52]--but of a
considerably larger size, in quarto. There can be no doubt of the whole of
this production being xylographical. Unluckily this fine copy has the first
and last pages of text in ms. The other pages, with blank-reverses, are
faintly impressed in brown ink: especially the first, which seems to be
injured. A double-line border is round each page. This copy, which is bound
in blue morocco, has also received injury from a stain. I consider the
second copy, which is bound in red morocco, to be printed with moveable
_metal_ types. The ink is however of a palish brown. I never saw another
copy of this latter impression.

BIBLIA PAUPERUM. _In Latin_. I doubt whether this be the first edition; but
at any rate it is imperfect. _In German_: with the date of 1470. Here are
two copies; of which I was anxious to obtain the duplicate (the largest and
uncoloured,) for the library in St. James's Place; but the value fixed upon
it was too high; indeed a little extravagant.

The APOSTLES CREED. _In German_. Only seven leaves, but pasted together--so
that, the work is an opistographised production. This is a very rare, and
indeed unique volume; and utterly unknown to bibliographers. Each cut is
about the same size, and there are twelve in the whole. There is no other
text but the barbarous letters introduced at the bottom of the cut.

MIRABILIA URBIS ROMAE. Another generally unknown xylographic performance;
printed in the German language: being a small quarto. I have secured a
duplicate of this singular volume for Lord Spencer's library, intending to
describe it in the _AEdes Althorpianae_.[53]

The LIFE OF ST. MEINRAT; _in German_, in a series of wood-cut
representations. This Saint was murdered by two men, whose Christian names
were Peter and Richard, and who were always afterwards haunted by a couple
of crows. There is a German introduction of two pages, preceding the cuts.
These cuts are forty-eight in number. At the thirtieth cut, the Saint is
murdered; the earlier series representing the leading events of his life.
The thirty-first cut represents the murderers running away; an angel being
above them; In the thirty-second cut, they continue to be pursued. The
thirty-third cut thus describes them; the German and the version being as
follow; "_Hie furt man die mord vo danne un wil schleisse vn
redern die rappen volget alle zit hin nach vn stechet sy_." "Here
they bring the murderers, in order to drag them upon the hurdle to
execution, and to break them upon the wheel. The crows follow and peck
them."

In the thirty-fourth cut Peter and Richard are tied and dragged at the
heels, of a horse. In the thirty-fifth they are broken upon the wheel.

The _Calendar of Regiomontanus_--A decidedly xylographical production; the
first date is 1475, the last 1525. A fine sound copy, but cropt. In a
duplicate copy the name of the mathematician is given at the end.

CANTICA CANTICORUM. First edition. A beautiful copy; cropt, but clean.
Sixteen cuts, uncoloured. The leaves have been evidently pasted together.
Another copy, coloured; but of a later date. In fine preservation. A third
copy; apparently the first edition; washed all over with a slight brown
tint, and again coarsely coloured in parts: This copy singularly enough, is
intermixed with portions of the first edition (as I take it) of the
_Apocalypse_: very clumsily coloured. A fourth copy, also, as I conceive,
of the first edition; rather heavily coloured. The back grounds are
uncoloured. This is larger than the other copies.

DEFENSIO IMMACULATAE CONCEPTIONIS B.M.V. _Without place; of the date of
1470_. This is a Latin treatise; having four cuts in each page, with the
exception of the first two pages, which exhibit only Saints Ambrose,
Austin, Jerom and Gregory. At the bottom of the figure of St. Austin,
second column, first page, it is thus written; "_f.w. 1470_." In the whole
sixteen pages. The style of art is similar to that used in the
Antichrist.[54] Of this tract, evidently xylographical, I never saw or
heard of another copy.

The foregoing list may be said to comprise the _chief rarities_ among the
BLOCK BOOKS in the Public Library at Munich; and if I am not mistaken, they
will afford no very unserviceable supplement to the celebrated work of
Heineken upon the same subject. From this department in the art of
printing, we descend naturally to that which is connected with metal types;
and accordingly I proceed to lay before you another list of
_Book-Rarities_--taken from the earlier _printed volumes_ in this most
extraordinary Library.

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