Marchesinus (Johannes) Mammotrectus super Bibliam, collation: A-C⁸; a¹⁰; b-y⁸; 1 2⁸; 3¹⁰, double column, 228 ff. (including initial and final blanks), 39 lines and headline, Gothic type, rubricated throughout with alternating blue and redLombard initials,^, A^1r richly illuminated with a 7-line initial 'I' in gold and colours with opaque white highlights, a historiated initial 'F' (beginning of the Epistle ofSt Jerome) also in gold and colours with a representation of St. Ambrose, flourished in red and green, four-sided filigree-work border with tendrils and flowers, gold dots and individual thorn leavesalso in gold, and a medallion of green laurel leaves, a red infield and a flowering tree in green and red, occasional light damp-staining to head, the odd patch of light marginal soiling, ink library stamps to A^2r and n^6v, ink inscriptions trimmed from earlier endpapers and laid onto pastedowns, contemporary blind-stamped pigskin over wooden boards, possibly a remboitage, with circular pelican and egg-shaped lily stamps, brass clasps, early repairs to spine ends, worm holes to covers, pastedowns and endpapers renewed, preserved in custom drop-back box, 4to (210 x 160mm.), Venice, Franciscus Renner de Heilbronn & Nicolaus de Frankfordia, 1476.

⁂ FirstVenetian edition of this manual for the clergy, containing etymological and grammatical explanations of difficult words in the Bible, along with the liturgical hours, arranged in the order of the Bible and the church year. It is one of the most important Franciscan texts of the later Middle Ages. Our copy with a finely illuminated leaf in an Italian hand.

The Mammotrectus was written between 1279 and 1297 as a manual for the clergy, containing etymological and grammatical explanations of difficult words in the Bible along with the liturgical hours, arranged in the order of the Bible and the church year. Very popular during the 16th century, this work quickly became a classic amongCatholic priests, and was as such subject to repeated attacks by Luther andprotestant theologians.

Provenance: "Comparatus sum anno Domini M.V.20" (ink note laid onto rear pastedown); "Duplum Bibliotheca regiae Monac(ensis)" (ink note laid onto front pastedown); Franciscan monastery of Riva del Guarda (ink library stamps); H. Legel (bookplate).

Literature: BMC V, 194; HC 10557; Goff M-236; GW M20827; Bod-inc M-083; BSB-Ink 155.050; ISTC im00236000.