Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1845-11-28
From the Evening Transcript.
THE OLDEST BOOK IN AMERICA.

In an extract from the Newark Daily Adj.
veriser, contained IN the Transcript Of the
10th inst, it is stated that the oldest printed
book in the country, is believed to be a copy
of Valerius Maximns, belonging to the Con.
ncclicut Historical Society, printed in 147l;
that the Oldest Bible in the country was
printed in 1476; and that the olics, mann.
script in the United States purports 10 have
been written in 126S.
! Is this statement ,rne2 There is in the
Library Of Harvard Coese splendid copy
f t;9y,a Roman !-s;if7, =. r.f.lv- : t u.
rich Hahn, at Rome. in l47O; the carly part
Of it probably printed in 1460. 1t was
edited by Cardinal Campani. The late
Rev. DR.. Greenwood purchased it at auc.
ton, and it has been added 10 the Library
recently.
In the same Library are two books in
black letter, viz: Jcrome's Epislles and
Fharetra S. s. Ductornm Philosophorum ct
Pactornm. They are from different fonts /:
are without tile page, date, place, or print-
er's name. There is no doubt, however,
that both were printed by Mentclin, at
Strasburg. The Phare,ra was in existence
as early as l472, and the Jerome as early as
1869, They may have been printed lit
/ tie earlier, and indeed the Pharelra may be
still older than the Jerome. These tlrea
books are the oldest in Harvard College Ii.
brary.
But there is in a private Libraryin Cam.
bridge, Il C'tholicon, printed at Men'z 10
lf6O, by Gu'teahnrg, (who is now general.
/ iy admitted to have been the inventor Of The
art.) This is the third book that was print
ed with the date, and is undoubtedly the old.
est printed book in America. A long and
minute account Of this work is contained in
DIhdn's Bib!iolheca Spenceriana, vol. 3,
p.32.
In the same collection with the above, is q
Nulgae Bible, which is believed to he tho
Oldest printed Bible in the country. Il was
formerly in the Library of His ROYAL High.
ness the late Dukc of Sussex. Pettigrew,
in the Bibiolheca Sussexiana, p. 303, de.
scrihng this identical copy, puts the date at
lFO-l. Braun, however, suhscribes TO
the opinion "t its being executed between
| 1860 and 1865. and says it was so rare lhsNSS
he had never seen bat three copies.
| In the College Library. without noticing
some manuscripts Of the Is Ii and 18th cen..
turtles. there i, the N,w Testament, IN two
4lo volumes, in Greek, divided into lessons,
Of the Greek chnrch, beautifully written on
vellnm, probably in the l2h century, having
the rubrics and titles IN gold letters. There
are also six leaves Of an Evangelis,ary, writ.
ten in Cncal letters on velluni, in the early
part of the llIh century, or ahon, one thou.
sanl years since. These leaves contain
noriions of the GOSPELS of Matthew and
john, and are probably the oldest leaves or
manuscript in America. These Two MSS
were procured by Mr. Everett, many years
since, at Consianlinopr, the six leaves com.
ing 10 INN as an envelope 10 - manuscript Of
later date. An account Of these, aud 9TH
er Greek MSS procured by Mr. Everett may
DC found IN the memoirs Of the Americsp
Academy, vol 4 p 400.
There are two manuscript copies of tho
Nulgaic Bible, of the 18Th century, in Tho
private collection alluded 20 above.
! think, therefore, that tho oldest printed
Bible, the oldest printed book, and the oldest
manuscript in the country, are IN Cambridge,
massachusetts,. Who knows Of any which
are older J. L. S.
Harvard College Lib, Oct. %, ls4S.