CONTENTS

Illuminated manuscripts

  1. Canones conciliorum, written by an insular scribe,
    Northern Italy, c. 775
  2. Psalter, so-called Bernwardpsalter,
    Germany, Hildesheim, c. 1020
  3. Gospel Lectionary, Byzantium,
    Constantinople,c. 1100
  4. St Augustine, Enarrationes in Psalmos, Upper
    Austria, Lambach Abbey, second half 12th century
  5. Vita Christi, Life of Christ and of the Virgin,
    Northern England,York, c.1190-1200,
    and East Anglia, Norfolk, c.1480-90
  6. Antiphonary, illuminated choirbook, Italy,Venice
    (San Marco), c. 1250 (between 1238 and 1264)
  7. Psalter and biblia latina with the interpretation
    of the Hebrew names, France, Lorraine, Metz, c. 1250
  8. Psalter for the use of Brussels, Northern France,
    Paris, c. 1260
  9. Biblia latina with the interpretations of
    the Hebrew names, Southern France,Toulouse,
    last quarter of the 13th century
  10. Psalter, illuminiated for Gui de Dampierre,
    Southern Netherlands, Bruges, c. 1280
  11. Speculum humanae salvationis, illuminated
    with pen-and-ink drawings by Magister Konrad,
    Austria, before 1386
  12. Book of hours, use of Chartres, illuminated by
    the Bedford workshop, France, Paris, c. 1400-10
  13. Psalter, Spain, Barcelona, shortly after 1400
    and c. 1440-50
  14. Book of hours, use of Rome, illuminated by
    Pseudo-Jacquemart, France, Paris, c. 1410
  15. The so-called Wardington Hours, hours of
    the Passion, illuminated by the Bedford workshop,
    France, Paris, c. 1410 and 1430
  16. Wirnt von Grafenberg, Wigalois (manuscript k),
    illustrated by the circle of the Workshop of 1418
    and of Diebold Lauber,Alsace, c. 1420-30
  17. I.Thomas de Chobham, Summa de poenitentia,
    dat. 1422; II. Stephan Palecz, Utilia contra errantes;
    III. Johannes Andreae, Processus iudicalis – et al.;
    Austria, Seitenstetten, c. 1422
  18. Joachim di Fiore Vaticinia sive Prophetiae
    et Imagines Summorum Pontificum,
    illustrated by the workshop of Lorenzo
    di Pietro ‘Il Vecchietta’, Benvenuto di Giovanni,
    Italy, Siena, c. 1450 and c. 1464
  19. Bruder Philipp, Marienleben
    and other texts, Upper Rhine, c. 1450
  20. German prayerbook with metalcuts, Germany,
    Cologne and Tyrol, Diocese of Brixen,
    dated 1458
  21. Book of hours, use of Paris, illuminated by
    the Master of Jacques de Luxembourg, France,
    Paris, c. 1460-70
  22. Book of hours, use of Rome, illuminated by the
    Master of Marguerite de Liederkerke, Flanders,
    Hainault, Mons or Valenciennes, c. 1500
  23. Croy-Arenberg Book of Hours, use of Sarum,
    with miniatures by the Master of Sir George
    Talbot, the Master of the First Prayer Book of
    Maximilian and the Master of the David Scenes
    in the Grimani Breviary, Flanders, Ghent,
    1505 and c. 1510-20
  24. Berault Stuart (Bernard Stewart),
    Traité sur l’art de la guerre, Northern France, Paris,
    second quarter 16th century
  25. Battista Agnese, Portolan Atlas, Italy,Venice,
    signed and dated 5 February 1544


    26. Early Prints

  26. Nativity, Single-leaf print, Southern Germany,
    c. 1440
  27. The Good Sheperd – ihesus xpristus,
    Single-leaf print, Southern Germany,
    West-Swabian, c. 1460-70
  28. Block-book – Ars Memorandi per figuras
    Evangelistarum, first print of first edition,
    Southern Germany, Nuremberg, c. 1470
  29. Block-book – Der Antichrist und die fünfzehn Zeichen
    Germany, Nuremberg: Hans Briefmaler 1472,
    second edition, i.e. Hans Sporer, 1470
  30. Celestial vision at Constantinople. Kunt und
    wissennt sey allermeniglich das ein sölich geschicht
    unnd erschreckliches erschein gesehen ist worden hinter
    Canstantinopel ..., Single leaf print, Southern
    Germany, Nuremberg c. 1491
  31. Biblia Latina – A single leaf,Mainz: Johann
    Gutenberg and Johann Fust,‘c. 1454/55’; rather 1452-1454
  32. Psalterium Benedictum Congregationis Bursfeldensis
    – A single leaf, Mainz: Johann Fust
    and Peter Schöffer, 29 August 1459
  33. I.Thomas de Aquino. Summa de articulis fidei,
    Mainz: Printer of the Catholicon before 1460
    or Peter Schöffer c. 1469
    II. Matthaeus de Cracovia. Dialogus rationis
    et conscientiae de frequenti usu Communionis,
    Mainz: see above, c. 1469;
    III.Antoninus Florentinus. Confessionale:
    Defecerunt.With: Johannes Chrysostomus. Sermo
    de poenitentia, Cologne: Ulrich Zell, c. 1470
  34. Johannes Balbus, Catholicon, Mainz: printer of
    the Catholicon, probably Gutenberg workshop
    1460, c. 1472, or 1469
  35. Rudimentum Novitiorum, Lubeck: Lucas Brandis,
    5 August 1475
  36. Speculum humanae salvationis, German:
    ein spiegel der menschlichen behaltnisze,
    Basel: Bernhard Richel, 31 August 1476
  37. Conrad von Megenberg, Das buch der Natur,
    Augsburg: Johann Bämler, 20 August 1481
  38. Auslegung – Messe singen oder lesen wer
    das thun sol, wenn, wie oder wo, Nuremberg:
    Friedrich Creussner, not after 1482
  39. Jacobus de Theramo, Belial. Cy commence le proces
    de Belial a l’encontre de Ihesus. Lyon, Mathias Huss:
    19 May 1486
  40. Compilation of ten French
    literary incunabula, Paris, 1488-c. 95, among them Olivier
    de la Marche, Le Chevalier Délibéré. Paris: Guy Marchand
    or Antoine Caillaut for Antoine Vérard,
    8 August 1488
  41. Olivier de la Marche. Le Chevalier Délibéré,
    Gouda, printer of the Chevalier délibéré,
    Collaciebroeders, after 31 October 1489
  42. Petrus de Crescentiis, Ruralia commoda.
    In commodum ruralium cum figuris libri duodecim,
    Speyer: Peter Drach, not before 1493
  43. Alanus de Rupe, Von dem psalter unnd Rosen
    krancz unser lieben frauen.Wie man den beten sol,
    Augsburg: Anton Sorg, 1492
  44. Der Doten dantz mit figuren. Clage und
    Antwort schon von allen staten der welt,
    Mainz: Jacob Meydenbach, c. 1492
  45. Fiore di virtù. Questa sie una utilissima operetta
    acada uno fidel christiano chiamata fior de virtu,Venice:
    Matteo Capcasa di Codeca, 15 January 1493
  46. Christophorus Columbus, De insulis nuper
    in mari Indico inventis, and Carolus Verardus,
    Historia Baetica. In laudem Serenissimi
    Ferdinandi Hispaniarum regis Bethicae & regni
    Granatae obsidio, victoria & triumphus,
    Basel: Johann Bergmann von Olpe, 1494
  47. Scriptores Astronomici veteres: Julius Firmicus
    Maternus, Mathesis and other Greek and Roman
    astronomical texts,Venice:Aldus Manutius, 1499
  48. a: La dance macabre des hommes, Paris,
    widow of Jehan Treperel and Jehan Jehannot,
    c. 1512-22 234

     b: La dance macabre des femmes toutes
    hystories & augmentee de nouveau, Paris,
    Jehan Treperel (II), c. 1525-32
  49. Martin Luther, Das newe testament deutzsch,
    Wittenberg: Melchior Lotter, 1524
  50. Aurelius Theodosius Macrobius, In somnium
    Scipionis libri II. Saturnaliorum libri VII.
    Basel: Johannes Herwagen the Elder, 1535

    Key to bibliographical references

Only known copy of this edition illustrated by one of the most beautiful French woodcut series of the 15th century

39 Jacobus de Theramo, Belial. Cy commence le proces de Belial a l’encontre de Ihesus

Lyons: Mathias Huss, 19 May 1486. Fourth French edition.

2°, 241 mm x 164 mm. 152 unnumbered leaves: a-t8. – 35 lines per page. Rubricated throughout, with red and blue lombards. 99 woodcuts of 64 blocks, six with some details coloured in red. – Fine condition, fol. a3-m2 with a wormhole, some of the lombards shining through, erased stamp on title.The first two leaves are inserted from a different copy. – Brown morocco with raised bands and gilt title on spine, all edges gilt, signed on first flyleaf: Rivière & son (London).

PROVENANCE: 1. Ancient note on the first leaf:“Ce present livre est a moy […] de Lagny […] moy dans ung foire à […] no en veau noire & qu’il est en latin [et en] francoys Imprimée à lion”. 2. Charles Gillet (1879-1972), Lyon. 3. H. P. Kraus (April-May 1969). 4. Collection Otto Schäfer, Schweinfurt, OS 715.

TEXT: Jacobus Palladinus de Theramo (1349-1417), a member of the powerful Palladini family, was an Italian canon lawyer and bishop. His birthplace,Theramo, now in the Italian region of Abruzzo, was then part of the Kingdom of Naples. After studying canon law at the University of Padua he was archdeacon at Aversa in 1384 and held several posts in the Papal Curia before being appointed bishop of various dioceses in Italy. In 1417 Pope Martin V sent him as legate to Poland, where he died the same year. Jacobus is the author of various texts, the most peculiar of which is certainly the Consolatio peccatorum, seu Processus Luciferi contra Jesum Christum, written c. 1382. This ‘consolation of sinners’ (with the colophon ‘Liber Bellial’) takes the form of a lawsuit between Lucifer and Jesus Christ, with Solomon presiding, in which the Devil sues Christ for having trespassed by descending into hell. At the first trial Moses is counsel for Jesus Christ and Belial for the Devil. At the second trial the Patriarch Joseph is judge, Aristotle and Isaiah defend Jesus Christ, and the Emperor Augustus and Jeremiah defend the Devil. In both trials the decision is in favour of Christ, but at the second trial the Devil is granted the right to take possession of the bodies and souls of the damned at the Last Judgment. Recently it has been suggested that the Belial was intended as a legal text book exemplifying the canonical process of a trial for laymen such as bailiffs, solicitors etc. Despite being considered blasphemous by some later historians for depicting a charge against Christ, the Belial sets out to demonstrate the power of Christ over the Devil and to offer, as the Latin title indicates, consolation for sinners. Although obviously a work of Christian theology, the Belial also incorporates figures from Judaism and pagan antiquity. Translated into several languages, the work was repeatedly reprinted, with Latin and German editions both appearing in 1472. In 1481 a French edition was printed, translated from the Latin text by the Augustinian Pierre Farget from Lyons. Our copy represents the fourth French edition.

ILLUSTRATION: After the second German edition in 1473, the first to be illustrated with woodcuts, the incunabular printings were usually accompanied by a series of extremely curious illustrations. The same is also true of the French editions. Our copy presents a truly magnificent series of 99 woodcuts, one full-page and the other 98 half-page, made of 64 repeated blocks.Almost every scene of the trial is illustrated by a superb figure.This series was made for the edition printed by Martin Huss in 1481 and was re-deployed in subsequent editions. However, as the Catalogue of the British Museum states, two woodcuts are likely to have been done for earlier publications: the one representing a stoning (fol. 104, n8) was probably used in an earlier edition of Aesop, and the one representing a woman killing a man with a key (fol. 107, o3) in another unspecified book. The woodcuts can be attributed to two different artists who worked in Lyons and are known to have previously executed several woodcut series for the Huss workshop in that city (e.g. for a French Bible and a Vergil of Guillaume Le Roy). It seems that they copied the scenes for the Belial from the Strasbourg series, but augmented them considerably. The figure of Belial is always given as a human-sized character with elongated ears, sometimes with horns too, and cloven hoofs, so he is easily recognizable in every woodcut. The landscapes, background scenery and figures are clearly outlined and shaped, whilst almost completely lacking any hatching. Each woodcut is combined with an explanatory headline and thus becomes a visual summary of the following chapter.

PRINTER: This beautiful copy was printed by the successor of Martin Huss, Mathieu or Mathias, no doubt a relative from the same region in Bottwar,Wurttemberg, whose workshop in Lyons must have been busy well into the 16th century. For this volume Huss used types he had imported from Nuremberg. The other illustrated editions published by the Huss family in Lyons are dated 8 Nov. 1481, 21 Jan. 1482/83, 22 Mar. 1484/85, 7 Nov. 1487.

RARITY: Our copy is the only surviving example of the fourth French edition.The number of editions bears witness to the great popularity of the text in France, but even stronger evidence lies in the fact that only 7 complete copies of all those editions survived worldwide, suggesting that they must have been read and reread until the books fell to pieces.

LITERATURE: Claudin 1900, III, 180-185; Hind 1935, p. 604; Geldner 1968, II, p. 217; Arnim 1984, no. 179; GW M1110310; ISTC ij00072900.