Gregorius I

Epistolae. (Augsburg, Günther Zainer, not after 1476). Fol. (40:29 cm). Rome. Types, 2 columns. Rubricated, with 13 mayflower initials colored in red and numerous further woodcut initials, also colored in red. 10 nn, 152 (st. 154) num. pp. - ╔Bound: W. Rolewinck.╗ Fasciculus temporum. (Cologne), Heinrich Quentell, 1479. fol. Rubricated and foliated by hand. With 8 figurative woodcuts, partly colored in red, and numerous schematic circular woodcuts. 70 (st. 72; the first white) nn. Bll. Hogshead boards over wooden boards from the workshop of the Cölestine monastery on the Oybin with rich stamping; browned and partly rubbed, cover defects restored, spine partly renewed using old material. Clasps and other fittings removed, mirror renewed. I. Hain-C. 7991; GW 11439; BMC II, 322; Goff G-415 - First edition and at the same time the only incunabula edition of this important collection of letters. An important source for the history of his time, provides information about Gregory's character and his administration. "Some of Gregory's letters are of a purely official character; most of them, however, are of a personal nature, written in a clear style of simple beauty. Their importance lies firstly in their status as authentic historical documents, which show the pope to be a prudent chief pastor of the Church and a successful politician in the disputes over the shaping of early medieval Europe. On the other hand, they have attained an eminent literary-historical significance, because the Gregorian Registrum became the model for all later papal registers and thus, as a kind of 'form book', advanced to become the undisputed stylistic model of future times" (KLL). - Fine impression with wide margins. Partly slightly stained, several leaves with bluish discolored waterstain in the lower right corner, occasionally also in the right and upper margin. First leaves with minor losses in upper margin and minor wormholes. First leaf soiled in white margin, with ownership note of the Jesuit College of Sagan dated 1728 and 2 older stamps of the grammar school library of Sagan. The num. Leaves 22 and 84 are missing - ╔II.╗ Hain-C. 6923; GW M38685; BMC I, 261; Goff R-259; Voulliéme, Cologne 1030; Schramm VIII, 19 - Rare Cologne edition of the famous chronicle, the first by Heinrich Quentell. Among the figurative woodcuts in the text is a view of Trier as well as the well-known landscape view of Cologne with the cathedral under construction. The present edition shows the third view of the city, a newly created woodcut which, with its elongated panorama, clearly differs from that of the first edition and its re-cut in the 1476 edition. - Slightly stained, first white leaf and last leaf verso somewhat soiled, last leaf with two small wormholes. Plates b4 and d5 with further woodcuts missing. - Regarding the binding: EBDB w000159; Kyriß 26 and plate 60. The embossing of the binding bears the typical characteristics of the 1st workshop of the Oybin monastery (1463-1491), the monastic coat of arms "S" with a cross, which fills three framing rows of stamps next to the eagle, crown and Bohemian lion as well as the lily, foliage in lozenge and the scroll "maria", while a dense mosaic of rhombic lily stamps fills the center field. Front flyleaf present, with marginal tears and two entries on the work. Two very rare works by Gregory the Great and Rolewinck in one volume. In Gregoy leaves 22 and 84 are lacking and in Rolewinck lacking leaves b4 and d5. Gregory partly slightly spotted, several leaves with bluish discolored water stain in the lower right corner, occasionally also in the right and upper margin. First few leaves with small tears in upper margin as well as small wormholes. Blank margin of the first leaf soiled, with ownership note dated 1728 of the Jesuit College of Sagan as well as 2 older stamps. Rolewinck slightly spotted, first white leaf a. last leaf somewhat soiled on verso, last leaf with two small wormholes. - Bound in richly blindstamepd contemporary pigskin over wooden boards from the workshop of the Celestine monastery on the hill Oybin in Saxony; browned and partly rubbed, cover defects restored, spine renewed with partial use of old material. Clasps and other fittings removed, mirror renewed.