Incunabula – Rolewinck, Werner. – Fasciculus temporum omnes antiquorum cronicas complectens.

A handsome Pruss edition of the famous Fasciculus Temporum, with the beautiful full page woodcut of Rolewinck presenting his book to the seated Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III on the verso of the title page, numerous other woodcuts including full page large woodcut of Jesus surrounded by 4 walls of text and 4 roundells representing the 4 apostles. This is Johan Pruss’s last Latin edition of the wildly popular Fasciculus Temporum by Werner Rolewinck, printed not before April 6, 1490, the date of Matthias Corvinus King of Hungary’s death as recorded in the last entry in the book. The title, Fasciculus temporum omnes antiquorum cronicas complectens, ( Fasciculus temporum for short) translates as A little bundle of times comprising all the chronicles of the ancients) — a monumental chronicle of the world (as known by Rolewinck) from the beginning of time (he begins his history with In principio creavit celem [sic] et terram … ) until shortly before publication. Although it comprises much straightforward historical text, there are also delightful and interesting asides and anecdotes, including accounts of a bolt of lightning in the form of a dragon striking the church of St. Peter in Cologne, killing three and leaving six “half-alive. ” It recounts when Albion became known as Britain, as well as the exploits of King Arthur: “Arthur, a very noble king of Britain, killed in his victories 460 men with his own sword, ” mentions various pestilences including the one now known as the Black Death and, in keeping with the teleological bent, makes mention of the time when three suns joined into one, signifying the union of the known world under one Caesar. There are numerous accounts of portents and phenomena (including one on folio LXXXV of a strange fire in the sky resembling candela rotunda (“a round candle”) , all signifying various important historical events or dooms. To the credit of the chronicler (and his publisher! ) , there is a surprisingly useful front index listing these various events, kings and portents and where to find them in the book, including, for example, the separate appearances of seven comets over the centuries — mentions of which can all be often easily be found on seven different folio pages as listed. One can imagine monks referring to the book to enhance their own written accounts. The book is amply illustrated, sometimes with repeats. In addition to the two large engravings, there are numerous others of city views, including a city in flames, Noah’s Ark, the Tower of Babel, a merman with another creature with the caption: “duo animalia apparuerunt humane forme vir & mulier horribilia aspectu ” (two animals appeared in human form, a man and a woman, horrible in appearance) , various comets, and a man with the head of a dog, illustrating various historical portents. Throughout there are roundels showing various people who were important during the periods named. This edition appears to be based on that of Rougemont (de Vach) 1481. “The mentions relating to the printing press in fc. LXXXIX, v. , those concerning the foundation of Cluny (fc. LXVIII, r. ) and the origin of the priory of Rougemont (fc. LXXV, r. ) , show this abundantly.” (Incidentally, Rolewinck was quite enthusiastic about the invention of the printing press, as he says in Folio 59: “This is the art of arts, the science of sciences, through the swift practice of which the valuable treasures of wisdom and of knowledge, instinctively desired by all men, leap as it were from the deep shadows of their hiding places. (“Hec est ars artium, scia sciarum … [sic]”) Author and chronicler. Besta Printed by [Strasbourg Johann Prüss the Younger] between 1490 and 1494 (historical treatise in which the last historical event mentioned is the death of Matthias Cornivus, king of Hungary, in 1490). – Printed in Latin language and in Gothic typeface, Tabula part in 3 columns, the body of the text in one. 1 ff. of title on the recto, a full-page woodcut on the verso representing a pilgrim, 5ff. of tables (Tabula), 90ff. of body of text 17 woodcuts in-text, an original layout (each page divided in two horizontal parts by the “linea Christi”, delimiting the history of the world since its creation and after Jesus-Christ, the names of the characters appear in circles). – With two-line dedication below the title, dated 1596. – Rolewinck’s chronological history of the world-one of the earliest examples of a hypertext, with annotations. The chronology follows a double timeline, measuring time from both the Creation and the birth of Christ, demanding a remarkably complex typographical layout and utilizing “a system of coordinated circles to locate biblical, classical, and modern rulers and writers in the flow of historical time” (Grafton). – Hayn-Cop. 6915; Proctor 571; Schreiber 5120. – A mint copy, in this state of conservation rare.