ALBERTUS MAGNUS] (historically attributed to but now believed to be by HUGH RIPELIN OF STRASSBURG).

COMPENDIUM THEOLOGICÆ VERITATIS]. [bound with] CONRADUS GRITSCH. QUADRAGESIMALE.

      [Strassburg: Martin Schott, after 23 August, 1483]; [Strassburg: Printer of the 1483 Vitas Patrum], 5 February 1484. - 144 leaves (fols. 16-141 numbered i to cxxix) including the four blanks (first and last leaves and fols. 14 and 15); [266] leaves including the initial and terminal blanks. Double column 41 lines of text and headline for the first work 50 lines and headline for the second gothic type. Two separately published works bound in one volume. VERY PLEASING CONTEMPORARY CALF OVER THICK WOODEN BOARDS covers panelled and diapered and featuring several distinctive stamps (see below) each cover with five brass bosses (one a convincing later replica the rest original) original brass corner guards and catches remnants of clasps expertly rebacked in the 20th century with unadorned matching dark calf tail edge of text block with early ink titling. Both works vigorously rubricated with red throughout: capitals and important phrases struck with paint or underlined paragraph flourishes many mostly three- and four-line initials (one very decorative initial 11 lines high) and unusual undulating line fillers. With a handful of contemporaneous marginal annotations in a fine early hand. Small portions of calf missing from top and fore edge of front board leather a bit scuffed and dried other small defects but the binding very solidly restored and extremely attractive because of its well-preserved original elements. First work with intermittent minor browning and foxing one of the medial blanks with four-inch diagonal tear (once mended with tape and now with residual discoloration) a half dozen leaves in the second work with minor marginal dampstain at fore edge but still AN EXCELLENT COPY INTERNALLY: the second work in quite fine condition--with extremely clean fresh leaves and very ample margins--and THE BOTTOM EDGES OF MANY LEAVES IN THE FIRST WORK WITH THE ORIGINAL COMPOSITOR'S MANUSCRIPT SIGNATURES THAT WOULD NORMALLY BE TRIMMED OFF. First work: Goff A-237; BMC I, 93. Second work: Goff G-500; BMC I, 98. The seven books in the Compendium (bound first here) discuss the Nature of Truth the Creation the Fall the Incarnation Grace the Sacraments and the Four Last Things. On account of its scope and style as well as its practical arrangement the work gained considerable popularity and was used as a basic text in schools for four centuries. It has been attributed to more authors than almost any other Medieval text. The 1557 Lyon edition attributed it to the intellectual giant and Doctor Universalis Albertus Magnus (1206?-80) a prolific writer active preacher and influential teacher (of among others St. Thomas Aquinas). Compendium was included in the 21 folio volumes of Albertus' works published in 1651. However after investigating the various theories of authorship scholars now believe the text is almost certainly the work of Albertus' student Dominican theologian Hugh Ripelin more commonly known as Hugh of Strassburg. The second work Quadragesimale is a popular collection of Lenten sermons by the Franciscan preacher Conradus Gritsch that was frequently reprinted following its first publication in Nuremberg ca. 1474. These sermons celebrate the events in Christ?s life during the 40 days (Quadragesima) from Ash Wednesday to Easter and in doing so develop a picture of the truly Christian life. Gritsch's sermons convey their message in an unusually lively way a fact that no doubt contributed to their popularity. For example sometimes Gritsch asks why lightning is seen before thunder is heard or why one country is hotter than another or whether it is praiseworthy for a saint to mix ashes with his food. (The answer to the last question is no because to do so would constitute a senseless departure from the mean.) Elsewhere interest is maintained by such things as mythological exempla taken from Ovid. Like the first work this text was for many years erroneously attributed to another author--in the present case Gritsch's brother Johannes an Augustinian canon law scholar in Basel. The mistake was rectified by the work of A. Murith in 1940. The stamps used to dec [Attributes: Hard Cover]