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central India, suggests the even more frail pappyrus records of old Egypt.
A neat specimen of modern writing is in 3 vols of lecture notes apparently by a college professor - in some early or uncommon angular form of shorthand, with many notes in Latin - Greek and Hebrew and reference titles in English. I have no book that looks so thoroughly polyglot; and it is a model of clean careful painstaking handi-work.
A "wanderbuch" the passbook or passport once carried by a German workman, just out of his apprentiship, as he moved from town to city, extending his trade knowledge, with 98 different municipal stamps, and even more signatures (in all varieties of crabbed german writing), is a Document that helps us to realize the absolute freedom of movement we now possess & exercise - [red pen: (go back to #4.)]
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copy, engraved probably between 1410 - 1420. The Biblia or "Poor Mans Bible" is mainly picture, and was a laudable attempt - in an age when M.S.S. were expensive, and ability to read was rare, - to popularize the main facts and dogmans of "The Book's" teaching; to popularize much in the same crude coarse fashion as was tried by the church, in the Miracle-play, the mystery play, and the Passion-play.
To get some idea of its page Imagine with me a frame-work for an ornamental - or rather eclesiastical - window, divided into 9 panels - 3 across, and 3 down. The 3 middle horizontal panels are wholly pictorial; the centre one illustrating some point in the life or the then accepted doctrine
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of Christ - some incident related in the New Testament: - while those panels on either side of it (R. & L.) contain pictures from the Old Testament, that throw reflected light - directly, or symbolically - on, the centre picture. The centre panels, top and bottom, each contain two saintly or biblical bust portraits, having scrolls extending from them, carrying a verse or quotation from the saints writings or sayings. The right and left top panels contain (in crabbed monkish latin) the brief legend, in biblical words where possible; and the lower corner panels hold brief leonine verse.
The whole of each single page thus, is seen, to give
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emphasis to one central thought, by means of 3 pictures, brief description briefer quotation and short rhyming couplet.
The Book is to this age - in itself - attractive, as showing not only the doctrine and morals, but also the costumes - the architecture - the aesthetic taste or pictorial sense of Europe at the close of the dark ages, expressed through the vehicle of crude - but bold wood engraving.
Very soon after the brief day of block books follows the invention of printing, and Petrus Schoyeffer -- who has part and credit in this revolution - after dissolving partnership with the other members Faust and Gutenberg, erects
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an independent press at Gernsheym, which in Sept 1474 (fully 420 years ago) turned out the oldest printed book this library can show you. It is in the abreviated church latin of that period, but englished, its title reads "The hundred golden precepts of brother Henry Herp". A thick folio, in double columns, its liberal margins, almost untearable paper, brilliant inks - (as used in writing and illumination - as well as in printing), make one envy the days of plain handwork and of sound honest material. But why sigh with regret? The book "a back number", only the product of old fashioned times ideals thoughts, so old fashioned as to be 21 years of age before Columbus
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