ANON

EYN AUSSZUG ETLICHER PRACTICA PROPHECEYEN AUFF VERGANGNE UND ZUKUNFFTIGE JAR / SYBILLE / BRIGITTE / CIRILLI / JOACHIM DES ABTTES / METHODII / UNND BRUDER REYNHARTS / WIRD WEREN BIS AUFF DAS MDLXXXI JAR. NO PLACE NO PRINTER NO DATE (1515)

      Small 4to. 10 leaves. Recent half-vellum on polychrome boards. Large woodcut vignette (two-thirds of page) on title, depicting an eight-pointed star surmounted by six signs of Zodiac surmounted by three pagan gods, the lower beacons of the star with the images of Sol and Luna in different positions). Homogeneously negligibly toned due to the quality of paper, some old scribbling, but a fine copy. The author of this prophecy could not be determined, neither can the year of edition. VD-16, A-4432 (not on authopsy) mentions a date of 1515, corresponding with the earliest date readable in the book, whereas the same title is reported by NUC as having a completely different title woodcut and an imprint of Nuremberg, Hans Herrgott, 1525. This is therefore an earlier edition, most probably the original one. A date prior to 1517 can be maintained as no hint to the incipient Reformation is present. Collections of prophecies were a widespread sort of popular books, based on the alleged observations of astronomers of previous ages (in this case Ptolemaeus) to which the predictions of several wise persons and soothsayers (among others Brigitta of Sweden and Gioacchino da Fiore) were accorded. As usual with these books the predictions always saw the immediate and certain defeat of Turks, the conversion of Jews to the true faith and the reconquest of Jerusalem. Slightly disquieting are the predictions of universal German domination (zum letzten wirdt der Frantzoss unter liegen und der Teutsch am angesicht wird regiren an allen enden und behalten das regiment von Orient bis in Occident) and of the formation of a league of peasants against nobility predicted for 1522, which foreshadowed the Bauernkrieg of 1525. Kuczynski 56 (collating only 8 leaves); Koehler 198 (giving an address of Leipzig, but collating only 8 leaves as Kuczynski: the date of 1540 maintained by this last cannot be maintained in view of the date of the Peasants' War); not in STC, Adams, Machiels, Zinner and Houzeau-Lancaster.