Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1884-01-31
A BIBLICAL RELIC.
Specimen OF Scripture Painting In the Six
tsenth Century.

specimen OF scripture Painting In the SIX
tsenth Century.
San Francisco CHOnicle.
Among the collection OF rare old
books preserved from the gradually-de-
caying San Carlos Mission church and
brought to this city by Father A. ID.
Casanova, OF Monterey, who is inter
esIing himself in the work of the res
toratiOn of the half.ruined edihce, is a
bible printed in the sixteenth century
and which is indeed an interesting relic
Of that period of crude book-makiEg.
This bible, which is printed in Latin,
was published by William Roulio, un-
der authority of Charles lX., Christian
King OF France, granted May |, 1872.
The book is bound in tough calfskiD, in
what was probably the highest style of
the BINDERS art Of the time. 1t is about
eight inches long, five inches wide, and
three inches thick. No lettering other
than the words "Biblia Sacra," appears
on the cover, but there is an attempta at
ornamenlation on the book in the shape
Of bronze stamping. On the ily-lcat is
the name of Joseph Nicolas de Can
eta in the old-time chirography, and
below this, in more modern lettering,
DE la Mission del Carmelo." On the
title-pago is curious design, probably
the artists masterpiece. Two burly
human figures are represented as bear.
ing upon their heads piece Of mason
ry, upon which are reclining two cher
ubs, their backs only being presented
to view, The title OF the sacred work
is placed in the center Of the page, with
Xplanatory remarks and the assurance
that the book is most elegantly illus
trated. Then the name OF the pub
Usher and the date of the printing
ljSl-are given. After long preface
aud prologue, each chapter Of which is
ended in what printers term the "pyr.
amid style" comes the book Of Gene
is, with an "appropriate' cut, in which
isseen God speaking TO Adam in the gar
den of Eden. Goats, horses, elephants,
camelS, and the birds of the air are
shown, together with the sun, moon
and stars, crowded in somewhat dis
proportionatcly, IL is true, but they are
"all there" Other pictures are Adam
and Ewes sin, their expulsion from the
gar!en, Abraham offering up Isaac, the
animals going into 4 very square-lOok- !
ing ark, the Hood, which, according to
the artists idea, was hnstencd by the
falling of raindrops of immense size
and of the shape of sky-rOckets. Then
follow great number of illustrations
of bible scenes, in which Isaac blesses
Jacob leaning out of bed at least ten
feet wide and sees angels ascending
into heaven on Il ladder about eight
feet high. Often there are two illus
tratiOns ON page in the first part Of
the book. but towards the latter part
the artist grew tired and the woodcuts
are accordingly Sparce. How Moses
managed to be secrctcd in 4 clump of
five or six burushes might perhaps be
explained by the picture-maker, but
how the latter came Oplace tho plague
OF frogs in an ancient Egyptian city,
constructed on modern Roman archi-
tectural plans, is an impenetrable
mystery. Interest is added TO the
latter cut by tho representation Of q
dog in the foreg round, who is ap.
parontly much frightened by the pres
enCe Of an enormous bull-frog on his
back. There are two or three maps
included in the work, which show the
geographical knowledge of the people
of three hundred years ago as being
comparatively limited. Full swing is
given by the artist to his Imagination