Vincentius Bellovacensis: Speculum historiale.

[Strassburg]: Johann Mentelin, [1473]
Fol.  Part I: [1-17¹⁰].  [170] leaves  (1/1 and 17/10 blank).  Part II: [1-15¹⁰ 16-19^8.12 20⁶ 21¹⁰].  [206] leaves (21/9-10 blank(?)).  Part III: [1-19¹⁰ 20¹²].  [202] leaves (1/1 blank).  Part IV: [1-18¹⁰ 19⁸ 20¹⁰ 21-22⁸].  [214] leaves (22/8 blank).
Signatures have been stamped in with type at the bottom right-hand corners of leaves at irregular distances from the text: all gatherings in each part being signed with the same letter, “d” in part I, “a”, “b” and “c” in parts II-IV respectively - see BMC.
ISTC iv00283000; GW M50587; Goff V283 (parts III and IV only); BMC I 57 (IC. 547); Bod-inc V-132; CIBN V-186; BSB-Ink V-201; Polain(B) 3941.

In four parts: I-III) [undated]; IV) 4 Dec. 1473.

Two copies held by the University of Glasgow.

Copy 1

GIP number:	V30/1
Shelf-mark:	Sp Coll Ferguson Ap-x.5, 6 (see main library entry for this item)
Variant:	Part I, 1/4r, col. 1, lines 1-2:  “... FRA||TRIS ...” as in Polain(B), not as BMC without line break.
Note:	The make-up of quires 16-21 of part II of this copy (which differs from Polain(B), and BMC) is based on the sewing of the quires.
Note:	Bound in two volumes, dividing after part II.
Provenance:	John Ferguson (1837-1916), Professor of Chemistry, University of Glasgow: source unknown; from the uniform bindings and shelfmark annotations, presumably bought as a set by Ferguson on 23 Mar. 1883 with Ap-x.3, 4 (Vincentius Bellovacensis, Speculum naturale. [Strassburg: The R-Printer (Adolf Rusch), not after 15 June 1476]). University of Glasgow: Ferguson collection purchase, 1921.
Binding:	Late 18th-century russia;  covers bordered with triple gold fillets;  gold-tooled spines;  dark green-edged leaves;  uniform with the binding on Ap-x.3, 4 (Vincentius Bellovacensis, Speculum naturale.  [Strassburg:  The R-Printer (Adolf Rusch), not after 15 June 1476]).   Size:  483 x 335 mm.
Leaf size:	467 x 325 mm.
Annotations:	Brief marginal annotation on 16/4v (f. 154v) of part II;  “nota” mark and underlining on 22/3r (f. 209r) of part IV;  occasional manuscript signatures visible in part IV;  18th/19th-century shelfmarks on front free endpapers:  “LL1.1” in ink in volume I, scored through and replaced in pencil with “73G.2”, “LL1.2” in volume II replaced with “73G.3”;  number “370” in pencil in a 19th-century hand on front pastedown of volume I and number “412” in pencil on front pastedown of volume II.
Decoration:	On 1/4r of part I a nine-line initial “Q”, which is supplied in red and blue with reserved white, is set within a frame of purple and red pen-work which extends into the inner margin, and, within the body of the initial, foliate decoration in green and red;  numerous other principal initials supplied in a similar style throughout both parts (some infilled with floral and animal designs);  smaller initials and paragraph marks supplied throughout in alternate red and blue;  capital strokes in red throughout;  running book numbers supplied in red and blue, running headings in red.
Imperfections:	Wanting the blank(?) leaves 21/9-10 (ff. 205-206) of part II, the blank leaf 1/1 of part III, and the blank leaf 22/8 (f. 214) of part IV.

 

Copy 2

GIP number:	V30/2
Shelf-mark:	Sp Coll Bh5-a.15 (see main library entry for this item)
Note:	Many of the stamped signatures are cropped.
Provenance:	University of Glasgow:  source unknown;  shelfmark “AO f1 nii [i.e. 11]” on 2/2r (f. 12r) of part III matching entry annotated “Manc” in 'Catalogus librorum Bibliothecae Universitatis Glasguensis anno 1691' (University of Glasgow Library, MS Gen. 1313);  shelfmark “BC.2.1” on the same leaf matching entry in A. Arthur, 'Catalogus impressorum librorum in Bibliotheca Universitatis Glasguensis' (Glasguae:  1791).
Binding:	Scotland, 20th-century brown cloth;  gilt spine title and oval gilt stamp of Glasgow College Library at foot of spine;  modern endpapers and flyleaves (no surviving evidence of originals);  earlier red-edging of leaves preserved.   Size:  430 x 300 mm.
Leaf size:	419 x 290 mm.
Annotations:	Title “Speculum historiale” in a 17th-century hand on 2/2r (f. 12r) of part III.
Decoration:	Numerous decorated initials have all been torn out;  partial evidence of the original decoration survives in the inner margin of 11/7r (f. 107r) of part IV;  smaller initials and paragraph marks supplied in alternate red and blue throughout;  chapter headings underlined in red;  capitals washed in yellow throughout;  running book numbers in blue and red.
Imperfections:	Parts III and IV only.  Part III: wanting 1/1-4, 1/8-10, 2/1, 3/1, 3/10, 4/2, 6/1-10, 12/10, 20/3-11 (ff. 1-4, 8-11, 21, 30, 32, 51-60, 120, 193-201).  Part IV: wanting 1/5, 2/4-7, 4/1-2, 10/5-6, 14/2-3, 14/6, 14/8, 15/7, 20/1-2, 20/8-22/8 (ff. 5, 14-17, 31-32, 95-96, 132-133, 136, 138, 147, 189-190, 196-214);  20/6-7 (ff. 194-195) severely mutilated, with loss of text.