BOOKS AND MSS. IN THE BEQUEST OF T. L. SEDDON

Turnbull Library Record, Volume XV, 1 November 1962, Page 27

BOOKS AND MSS. IN THE BEQUEST OF T. L. SEDDON

Diaconus, Paulus. Homilarus doctorum. Homiliae et postillae venerabilium doctorem super evangelia per aestatem. Printed at Cologne by Conrad Winters of Homborch. Undated, but after 1479. Winters was a competent printer, who operated between 1475 and 1482. His usual printing type is almost indistinguishable from that used by Ulrich Zel, a very active printer from 1466 till about 1500.

The Homilies were gathered by Diaconus (Paul Diacre), a distinguished historian of the Middle Ages (740-790 a.d.), from the writings of Gregory, Augustine, Jerome, Ambrose, Bede and others. It is interesting to notice that there is in the Library a copy of Eutropius's "De Gestis Romanorum”, with additions by Diaconus. This is a manuscript text written on vellum, probably in Florence about the middle of the fifteenth century. The "Homilies' is in fine condition, a folio printed in double columns, with large capitals ornamented by hand in red and blue, and initials, paragraph marks and underlines in red. It is in a contemporary binding of blind stamped calf over wooden boards, done by the Carthusian monks of the monastery of Dulmen whose stamp is on the leatherwork.

Thomas Aquinas. Questiones seu summa de duodecim quodlibet. Printed at Nuremberg by Johan Sensenschmidt and Andreas Frisner, 15 April 1474. This volume is handsomely bound in modern morocco, printed in double columns, in large folio format, with the first chapter heading and the colophon printed in red. Initials, paragraph markings, etc., have been added in colour by hand. The printer Sensenschmidt worked in Nuremberg from 1470-1478, sometimes with a partner, and for a short time alone. The association with Frisner lasted from 1474-1478.

Gritsch, Johannes. Quadragesimale, printed at Ulm by Johann Zainer, 20 October 1475. This is a tall imposing volume, an early product of Zainer's press, which operated from 1473, with a break in

1484-86, till 1493, though his name appears in a few books after 1496. The binding is of heavy oak boards, with pigskin back probably added in the 18th century. This copy came from St. Bride’s Foundation Library, which sold some duplicates a few years ago. The Library holds another copy of this collection of homilies, printed by Peter Schoeffer of Mainz. This was from the Watts-Rule collection and had belonged to William Morris of Kelmscott House.

Boethius, Anicius Manlius Torquatus Severinus. Opera. Printed at Venice by Johannes and Gregorius de Gregoriis, March & August, 1492. This is in the probably original vellum binding, and had come from the collection of Clemas of Masterton. It is in two parts, the latter being of particular interest to the Library, as it contains an early printing of Boethius’s treatise on music, a twelfth century manuscript of which is already in the collections. This same part contains Boethius’s work on arithmetic and geometry. The first part inevitably contains his Consolation of Philosophy and other philosophical works.

The brothers de Gregoriis were active from 1482 till the end of the century, producing over sixty works. Their printing is remarkable for a great diversity of type, but the quality of workmanship is not distinguished, like much of the Venetian printing of the time.

Several Narrations This is the binder's title to a vellum covered volume of pamphlets and broadsides on political matters in England of the period 1679-97. They give a detailed account of many small events of the times, trials, controversies, news items from abroad, etc., supplementing well the good groups of such material already held in the Library.

Roman Breviary. Written in Germany about 1350. This is a clear and colourful manuscript written on vellum, with a good deal of music on a 4-line staff throughout the text. It has obviously had great use, yet is in substantially good condition, protected by stout wooden boards with a calf back and iron clasps. As the Library has so few examples of mediaeval MSS., this is a welcome addition to the collections.

Colenso’s Letters In their admirable life of William Colenso (1948), Petersen and Bagnall cite as one of their sources a group of letters from Colenso to Andrew Luff covering the period 1875-93, then in the possession of T. L. Seddon of Feilding. These have now come to the Library as part of the Seddon bequest, and they add usefully to the biographical material relating to their author. There must have been a good deal of simple friendship between the two men, for there does not seem to be a strong common bond in any particular subject, but here through sixty-odd letters Colenso chats about local affairs and his own activities, fortunes and discomforts, now with his declining years becoming more difficult to bear. The group includes a few from Luff to Colenso, for the latter acted as agent for his friend during Luff’s visit to England in 1875.