Speculu[m] exemploru[m] omnibus christicolis salubriter inspiciendu[m] ut exemplis discant disciplinam.

"Incipit tabula exemplorum libri seque[n]tis"--Leaf 1₁v

"Incipit prologus in speculu[m] exemplo[rum] ex diuersis libris in vnu[m] laboriose collectum. [I]Mpressoria arte ia[m] dudum longe lateq[ue] [per] orbe[m] diffusa. multiplicatisq[ue] libris quaru[m]cunq[ue] fere materiaru[m]. freque[n]ter ammirat[us] sum qua ex refactu[m] sit. vt null[us] vn[a]q[ue] hac arte insignis libru[m] alique[m] in luce[m] [pro]tulerit [qui] ex plurib[us] diuerso[rum] auctoru[m] opusculis in vnu[m] co[n]gesta exempla co[n]tineret"--Leaf a1v.

"Ad laude[m] [et] gloria[m] sempiterne indiuidue [que] trinitatis. beatissime Marie v[ir]ginis. omnium sancto[rum] [et] angelo[rum] finitu[m] est [et] completum hoc speculu[m] exemplo[rum] in ciuitate Arge[n]tina Anno d[omi]ni. M.cccc lxxxvij. in die sancti Adriani martyris gloriosi. in martio"--Colophon, v leaf T6v.

Place of publication and printer supplied. Cf. ISTC.

Attributed to Aegidus Aurifaber (BM 15th cent.), ISTC cites Johannes Busch as probable author.

Signatures: 1-4⁸ a-c⁸ d-n⁸ ̇⁶ p-v⁸ ̇⁶ x-y⁶ z⁶ ; A-E⁸ ̇⁶ F-G⁶ H⁸ I-K⁶ L⁸ M-N⁶ O⁸ P-S⁶ T⁸ [$1-4 (6 leaf gatherings generally signed $1-3; leaves 1₁-1₄ missigned pi, 1₁-1₃) signed]. [320] leaves (the last 2 blank).

Text printed in double columns in gothic type on paper watermarked with the letter P surmounted by a four-leaved flower, bull's head with cross.

214 x 143 mm ; gothic 160 (title, head-lines), gothic 91 (text and smaller headings) ; 57 lines ; initial spaces with guide-letters occupying 1, 3 or 5 lines.

Includes index.

ISTC (RLIN), is000653000

BM 15th cent., I, p. 135 (IB.1871)

Goff, S-653

Hain, 14917

Procter, 609

Lower pastedown, vellum strip strengthening gathering Digital image. Wellington, N.Z. : National Library of New Zealand, 2007

Digital image available: lower pastedown, Alexander Turnbull Library SPC copy. Details available on request from Curator, Special Printed Collections.

Digital image available: vellum strip strengthening gathering, Alexander Turnbull Library SPC copy. Details available on request from Curator, Special Printed Collections.

The Alexander Turnbull Library SPC copy. Binding: rebound in 20th-century calf over original 10mm oak boards, with blind-tooled single fillet line around perimeter; spine gold tooled with single fleuron ornament within compartments, raised spine bands, black morocco spine label, cream endpapers. Spine title: Speculum exemplorum. Aurifaber. At foot of spine: Strassburg 1487. The upper cover from an earlier binding is used as the lower pastedown, and is blind tooled all over in a panel design with arabesque decoration in central panel, includes leather label with "Speculū exemplorū" in black ink, shelf mark B.4 in red ink, and further markings not decipherable. Vellum strip with ink sketches of an angel and a man on horseback strengthen last gathering ; ms mark along bottom text edges and another ms inscription across top text edges. Leather page markers (some now missing), numbered 1-10 on the fore-edge.

The Alexander Turnbull Library SPC copy. Provenance: rubricated, with initials in blue or red sometimes extending into margin, initials on recto of leaves a1 and a2 have now faint indication of further decoration, paragraph marks and initial strokes in red, some red initials in the opening table of contents show traces of silver illumination. Ms inscriptions on t.p. and on verso of last blank. A few marginal markings (e.g. leaf 3₂). Ownership stamps on verso of first leaf "Dupl. E. Bibl. Reg. Regiom"; "Kais Univers. & Landes- Bibliothek Strassburg" (Kaiserliche Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek), and a monogram RTW (or TRW?) surmounted by a coronet. Purchased by the ATL from Olga Mackie, Wellington, in 1945. Previously owned by Henry Pearce, Dunedin (cf. ATL MS-Papers-0181-066). Some browning, water stains on first and last gatherings; worming on fore-edges of last gathering and on first leaves to leaf 2₄, also leaves 4₂-b1. Accompanied by 2 news clippings from the Otago Daily Times and the Evening Star (Dunedin) tipped onto front pastedown, and publisher's catalogue description of 1481 printing of this work. R1019.