JOHANNES [MARCHESINUS]
Mammotrectus Bibliam
Imprint: Argentine [Martin Flach], 1494. 632 leaves.
Loosely enclosed is a notation with a description of the rubricated vellum endpapers.
'Front endpaper from 15th century Breviary for one of the Feasts of Advent.
Back Endpaper: 12th century. Written in Germany. Part of Office for Days after Christmas’.
Double column, gothic type. A small number of worm holes in first half of the text.
Bound in a contemporary full leather on four cords, gilt title 'mammotrectus' to spine, with the original brass clasp and with small knotted vellum place markers attached to the fore edge.
A very crisp clean undecorated copy in the original binding.
The Mammotrectus, a guide to understanding the text of the Bible, was popular with preachers in the later Middle Ages. It explained difficult words in the Scriptures, both etymologically and grammatically, and provided explanations of the festivals of the Church year, the legends of the saints, and various liturgical texts. Its author, Johannes Marchesinus, was a Franciscan friar from Reggio near Modena.