82 
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL AND TYPOGRAPHICAL 
SOIREE. 
«“ LETTERPRESS PRINTING AND ILLUSTRATION.” 
: Emery WAtgEER, (“ English Illustrated Magazine,”) London 
Directors { ‘ “ pede ; 
ALFRED STRANGE. 
December 8rd, 1889. 
In addition to a series of most interesting photographs of old printed 
books and manuscripts collected by Mr. Walker, displayed on the screen by 
aid of the lantern, and comprising among other items a page from 
Gutenberg’s Bible (the first printed book, date about 1450-5), a leaf from the 
manuscript of Columella, a printed Livy, 1469, a page from John Spiter’s 
edition of ‘‘ Cicero’s Letters” (the first book printed in Venice), a leaf from 
Nicholas Jansen’s edition of the same book, dated 1470, &c., there were 
placed on the tables for exhibition, a large assemblage of old printed books, 
many in their original bindings, being contributions kindly lent for the 
occasion by the Trustees of the Chetham Library, Manchester (through 
Mr. J. Lancaster) ; the Governors of the Burnley Grammar School (through 
My. J. Langfield Ward, M.A., Head Master) ; and many private collectors. 
Among some of the rarest of the exhibits were copies of the following :— 
“« Augustinus de Civitate Dei.’ Roma, 1470. Third edition. 
‘Balbus de Janua Catholicon sine nota.’ Strasburg, 1475 (about). 
Second edition. 
‘Turrecremata expositio super toto Psalterio.” Maintz, 1476. (Bound 
up with the above was a copy of ‘ Petrus de Crescentius,” the first book 
printed at Louvain, in 1474). 
“‘ Fyssher’s Treatyse concerning the fruitful sayings of Dauyd.” London: 
Wynkyn de Worde, 1508, &c., &c. 
There were also placed upon the walls some mounted leaves of ancient 
illuminated vellum MS’s which had been extracted from the binding of a 
set of Jerome’s Works, together with some folio leaves of Letterpress, 
printed on paper, by Frobem, of Basle, about 1490. 
The proceedings were commenced by the reading of a short 
paper by Mr. Strange, entitled, ‘‘ A Glance at the Literary State 
of England in the 14th and 15th Century,” of which the following 
is an epitome :— 
He said—To those who live in the winter quarter of the 19th 
century, on the eve of its last decade, face to face with all the 
literary advantages that a prolific press affords ; it may, perhaps, 
be interesting to contrast the present with the past, and consider 
what place literature took in the homes of the Hnglish people 
before printing was invented, and ere the age of vellum books 
and illuminated MSS. had passed away. 
