St. Landry democrat., 1879-03-01
BIBLICAL CURIOSITIES.
Book and Man uacript Relics of the Olden
Time.


Book nn,a Mar uaerip pit Relics of the 0lden
Time.
pr. stough,on's "Our English Bibls."
Among the relics of that olden time
there are preserved biblical curiositiss
which deserve passing notice. We
remember examining many years ago,
in Corpus Ch,isti college, Cambridge, s
fine specimen c f the Biblia Pauperum,"
of which few copies only are to be
found in the present day in very rare
collections. It consists of rude plates
representing scripture figures and in
cidents, with few Latin sentences ex-
planatory of the subjects. The work is
printed from wooden blocks in the way
in which playing~eards were manufac"
tured-a curious art, vhich was applied
to the production Of books of religious
character, such as the "Speculum
Humane Salvatonis." These block
books, Mr.. Hallam considers, were exc
cuted in the low countries, but probably
some of them found their way into Eng
land at al early period. They belong to
the first half of the fifteenth century,
and were precursors of nobler pro-
ductions, whose appearance in the
latter half of the same century
mark & memorable era in the
history of mankind. Mr.. Horne, in his
Introduction, described the "Biblia
Pauperum" as deriving its name from
its being catechism of the bible for the
common people, who were enabled to
obtain it for low price; but it could
be of little use to such persons, who can
not be supposed to have been able to
read Latin when so few could read their
own language. 1t seems much more
t likely that the volume took its name
from the franciscan friars, the chief
preachers of the day, who styled them~
. selves paupers, the volume probably
being sort OF textbook to aid them In
their ministrations. These imperfect
specimens of printing were soon sue
ceeded by productions which filled the
8 world with wonder.
4 Let the reader imagine himself in the
q CITY of Mentz, in the middle of the tit.
# tenth century. That thoughtful man
J. now pacing the banks OF the Rhine, and
d then entering his own habitation in some
"a obscure street, tolls in a secret apartment
q where no one save an assistant at his un
"a known craft is allowed to enter. He
% perseveres until volumes appear, al
! marvelously alike, displaying gracefully
v formed letters such as rival the faires
" specimens of penmanship. The magic
In manuscripts increase in number. NJ
r. scriptorium could multiply them so fast
10 Men marvel and think there must b
"a witchcraf5 in this business. The work
oe man is Gutenberg, and his house is hi
tn first printing Office. The whole Of
~ portion of the scriptures was certainl
20 the first book of considerable size whic
m issued from the press. The earlies
ira bearing date, is the beautiful psalte
". by Fust & Schoffer, in 1857, of which
he sumptuous copy, printed on vellun
70 adorns the royal library at Windso
But Latin bible, with the prologue {
en- St. Jerome, printed probably by Gu
Of tenberg at Mentz, between 1850 al
1866, and commonly called the Msaari
tn bible, on the very slight ground of a cop
tn having been found in. Cardinal Mazarin
TO- library, is considered the earliest ofsprir
N, of the noble invention "and we ms
,os see," excains Mr.. Hallsm, this vene
Yer able and splendid volume leading Up Il
elf crowded myriads of its followers and il
nv ploring, as it were, blessing on the ne
art by dedicating its fruits to the sc
i; vice of Heaven" As was natural, ear
up, types for printing were formed on Il
of model OF writing characters, and hen
his the earliest bibles and psalters in Germ.
presented letters such as had been US
me by scribes in missals and other religio
rec books; but when German printers we
asa to reside at the famous monastery
Subisco, near Rome, they cut punch
lie, in imitation of the letters used in Ital
She Thus printed books SO much resembl
pit manuscripts that they were sometin
her mistaken for them and even until We
enc lately copy of the Mazarin or Quite
ess, berg bible; preserved at Lambeth pala,
18th passed as the work Of scribe instead
1ai the work of a printer.
in