MAGNI, Jacobus.

Sophologium.

      Uncut copy of the first edition of the Sophologium, given by Wilhelm of Aachen to the 'Domus Regularium Bonorum puerorum'at Liege in 1474 (Strassburg, 'R' printer (Adolf Rusch), ca. 1470). Folio. Contemporary calf over bevelled wooden boards, spine ribbed, with original green morocco label lettered in gold; both covers with blind tooled lozenge-shaped pattern with small fleur-de-lys and star stamps; original label with title and shelf-mark pasted to the front cover; in modern half calf case. Roman letter (Type: R 103), rubricated in red throughout with red paragraph marks and initials on the three to five line spaces left open, many with printed guide letters; wide margins (the measuring 295 x 215 mm.), 35 lines to a page; Collation: (a-d)10, (e)8+1(f. e2 added, no lost of text), (f)8, (g-i)10, (k)6, (l-m)8, (n-o)10, (p-q)8, (r-u)10, (x)8, (y)10, (z)8, (A)8-2 (without the mostly lacking last two blanks); 217 leaves. First edition of this very rare incunable. There are two undated editions of this work by the same printer Adolf Rusch, which were printed shortly after one another (HC 10471 and 10472) and our copy appears to belong to the first. The anonymous printer, whose modern nickname is derived from the peculiar 'R' of his 103 type is now generally identified with Adolf Rusch of Ingweiler who married Johann Mentelin's daughter Salome and who succeeded Mentelin - the very first printer in Strassburg - in his business after his death in 1479. Before that date he worked already partly for Mentelin and partly for his own, as our book shows. His type with the peculiar 'R' is the first Roman type ever used in Germany.Jacobus Magni (or Jacques Legrand) was a French Augustinian, born in Toulouse (ca. 1350) where he first worked as a librarian. Later on, at the beginning of the fifteenth century he moved to Paris to become a preacher. In Paris he came in contact with the Royal Court of Charles VI, where he preached in 1405 with much boldnes against Queen Isabel of Bavaris (1371-1435) and the inpopular Duc d'Orléans. After the assassination of the Duc, Le Grand was sent to England to negociate with the English King. He died around 1422. Being in essence an encyclopaedical work especially in the field of philosophy and economy, the Sophologium was considered to be a handbook of good manners at the same time. As such it had a great success and judging by the vast number of incunable and post-incunable editions the book became very popular during the first century of printing. In fact the work is an anthology of philosophy and science taken from numerous ancient writers and early Fathers, as well as Albumazar, Chaucer, etc. Because it is a well composed and rather complete summary of all relevant classical and medieval authors, the book was used intensively till far into the 17th century. The text was translated into French by Jacques le Grand himself and was published (only in abridged form) in Chablis in 1478 under the title 'Le livre intitule de bonnes meurs dédié à très -noble prince ... Jean, fils du roi de France, duc de Berry ...'. An English translation was printed by Caxton in 1487 with the title 'The Book of Good Manners'.The incunable has a very interesting provenance. On verso of the first fly-leaf a manuscript note states that this copy was given to the 'Convent of the regular Canons at the priory of St. Elisabeth or of the 'Good boys' (des Bons-Enfants)' in Liège in 1474 by Wilhelmus de Aquisgrani (of Aachen), canon of the St. Lambert Church at Liège (Monast. Belge, II, p. 376-9): "Liber regularium domus bonorum puerorum in Leodio. Quem dedit nobis venerabilis dominus wilhelmus de aquisgrani. doctor in sacra theologia. et canonicus ecclesie sancti lamberti leodiensis ... oremus ergo cordialiter pro eo: Anno domino M. cccc. lxxiiii." Our copy is herewith the third copy known with an added date in manuscript - one with the date 1473 and one other with 1474 - giving a firm 'terminus ante quem' to the undated edition. We know also the orifinal shelf-mark of the book in the library of the convent: "M vi" is written on the label on the front cover, as well as on a label pasted to the verso of this cover.Furthermore our copy shows a number of very interesting features regarding the history of early printing. The leaves are totally uncut in such a way that not only most of the original manuscript signatures and catchwords are visible in the lower margins, but also the little holes in the upper and lower margins caused by the nails on the tympan of the printing-press, enabling the printer to print the lines on the rectos and the versos of the leaves 'in register': just on top of each other.- f. 1r-3r: Contents: Capitula tractatus primi libri primi Incipiunt.- f. 3v: Dedication the the French King by Jacobus Magno. Inc.: '(I)llustrissimi principis regis francorum.- f. 3v-217v: Text. Inc.: 'Tractatus primus huius primi libri: est de quibusdam que inducunt ad amorem sapiencie. Cuius primum capitulum est de inducentibus ad amorem sapiencie. (D)icit Ariostoteles decimo ethicorum ...'- f. 217v: Colophon: 'Sophilogium editum a fratre Iacobo magni de Parisiis ordinis heremitarum sancti Augu. finit foeliciter'. Very interesting, important and good uncut copy.- (Rebacked and covers skilfully restored, with some ms. notes in the margins; some occasional soiling; parchment leaves with a 15th-century treatise entitled 'Tractatus de amore sapientie', pasted to the inner sides of the boards). Goff M-38; Hain-Copinger 10472*; Polain (B) 2458; Polain (F) 7045; Oates 100; Klebs 595.2; BMC I 61; Proctor 241; Ritter 293; cf. Baer II 207; Zehnacker, Cat. rég. des inc., XIII, 1, 1480; L. Halkin, 'La maison des Bons Enfants de Liège', in: Bulletin de l'Institut archéol. liègeoise', 64 (1940), pp. 5-54.