Untitled - Monoskop

RANGE OF INTERESTS: ANALYSIS BY SUBJECT
Merlin's edition of the acts of the first four General Councils of the Church
(PA 1524, 13). It was reprinted at Cologne in 1530 and became the basis of all
subsequent editions.
Important texts of religious writers of the preceding four centuries or even
earlier, which had still never been printed, were to hand in college, cathedral
and monastery libraries in France. Usually the institutions which owned the
manuscripts, the scholars who had the interest and competence to edit them,
and the publishers who foresaw a good sale for them, all took a share in
various degrees in promoting the first editions, as far as one can see. In many
cases the authors had studied or taught in France at some period, whether
they were French or not. Among the first editions thus to appear and duly
obtain privileges were (in order of the grant of the privilege): an Expositio on
the Epistles of St Paul, attributed to St Bruno (PA 1509, i);
the Summa in
quaestionibus Armenorum and other works by Richard FitzRalph, archbishop of
Armagh (Armacensis), famous for a dialogue with representatives of the
Armenian Church and for his defence of the secular clergy against the friars
(CH 1512, i (3)); the works of Peter of Blois (CH 1515, 5 (5)), and of Richard
of Saint-Victor (CH 1518, 4 (2)) of whom the Venice edition of 1516 was
incomplete, both these writers edited by Jacques Merlin; the treatise De altaris
mysterio of Innocent III under the title De ojficio missae, printed for the Prior of
the Paris Carthusians (PA 1518, i); the Contemplationes Idiotae of Raymond
Jordanus (CP 1519, 6); the Speculum ecclesiae of St Edmund of Abingdon
(PR 1520, 2); the Sermons of St Antony of Padua (PR 1520, 10); commentaries
on books of the Bible by the Venerable Bede (PR 1521, 3); works of
Nicolas Clamenge (CP 1521, 3), and of Peter the Venerable, abbot of Cluny
(PR 1522, 2); sermons on the Psalms by Philippe de Greve (PR 1522, 4);
works of St Lawrence Giustiniani, patriarch of Venice (CH 1524, i); the
Expositio of Psalm 118 (119) attributed to St Bonaventura (PA 1524, 6); the
complete works of St Bruno (PR 1524, 2), published by Badius for the
Carthusian Order; and the works of Hugh of St Victor (PA 1526, 2). Among
more recent religious books to be published under privilege was the Consolatio
luctus et mortis of Guillaume Fichet, who, with Peter Heynlin, had in 1470
brought the first printing press to France (PA 1521, 4). Living theologians
rarely applied for privileges. An exception was Alfonso Ricz or Ricius, author
of Eruditiones christiane religionis, a treatise on the virtues and vices (CH 1512,
4); he was well placed to seek a privilege from Louis XII, being 'confesseur du
commun de 1'hostel dudict seigneur'.
John Mair or Major, a Paris Doctor of Theology but better known as a
philosopher, published in 1518 'cum priuilegio' the Gospel of St Matthew
with an 'ad literam' Exposition dealing with 308 doubts and difficulties; in his
absence in Scotland the book was edited by one of his pupils, Jacques
Godequin (CP 1518, 4). In the same year Jacques Lefevre d'Etaples brought
out 'cum priuilegio' his critical study of the tradition which identified St Mary
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