From the ivth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, (fol. 66. rect.) I present the reader with a fac-simile of the splendid type of this volume:

Gdy onitál mowilidoludu tedy przyszli Ka plani/y przelor ženi kościoła/y Saduceuszo

Frasuiac sie barzo iz vczyli lud/a opowiedáli w imie Jezusowe pow/ stánie od vmartych.

y tárgneli fie na nierekomá/ápos daltie do więzienia až do iuthrá/ bo inz byl wieczor.

The N.Testament concludes with the last chapter of the Revelations, on the reverse of fol. 143, from its commencement; the leaves being numbered afresh. There are marginal notes throughout both the Old and New Testament, which are referred to in the text by roman letters. An alphabetical table of names in seven leaves, not numbered, concludes the volume; the following colophon being on the reverse of the seventh :

Tn Nanprzedniensze n nazacniensze ksiegi, dla cwiczenia w zakoniech Boznch, ktore zowa po Grecku n poLacinie, Biblia, Drukowano w Brzesciu Litewskim z roskazania a nakladem Gswieconego Pana, Pana Nikolaia Radziwila ksiazecia na Olncey na Nieswiezit, Woiewdn Wilenskiego, w Wielkim ksiestwie Lithewskin nawnzszego Narszalka, ykanclerza, etcet. Roku Panskiego, tuscacnego, piecsetnego, szescdziesia thego trzeciego, Hiesiaca Wrzesnia dnia czwartego.

The preceding is probably as minute a description of this extraordinary volume, as has yet been presented to the public; although Ringeltaube in his Gründliche Nachricht von Polnischen Bibeln, Dantz. 1744, 8vo. may furnish the curious with more extended and useful details. Clement, in the ivth volume of his Bibliothèque Curieuse, p. 190-2, has availed himself of the aid of Ringeltaube; from whom we learn that PRINCE RADZIWIL was the liberal patron of this publication; that he got a printer of the name of Woiewodka, to come over from Cracow to Pinczow, a small adjoining town, where nearly twenty learned men (whose names are enumerated by the German writer,) laboured for six years at the present translation. During the whole time they were generously maintained by Radziwil; who, moreover, defrayed the expenses of the publication, which amounted to 3000 ducats.

Although the Polish Prince was at the head of the then sect of Socinians, yet as their separation from the reformed church did not take place till 1565, the present version is equally claimed by the Reformists; and the preceding extracts sufficiently attest its being a copy of the Vulgate text. Melchior Adam, in his Lives of the German Lawyers, gives us some account of this version; copies of which (he says) were bought and burnt malitia adversariorum,'*' c'est la (observes Clement) le meilleur moien de pousser un livre à la dernière rareté.' Janozki, more than 60 years ago, pronounced a copy of it to be worth a hundred crowns. Schelhorn, Freytag, Vogt, and Bauer

* Perhaps a thorough knowledge of the bibliographical history of this interesting volume, cannot be acquired without a perusal, as well of the above authorities, as of H. Strobandus's Hist. Typog. Thorunensis; or the Vita et obitus Henrici Strobandi; which seems to have supplied Melchior Adam with his principal materials. The testimony of Stanislaus Lubieniecius, as adduced by Lackman in his Selecta Quædam Capita Annalium Typographicorum, 1740, 4to. p. 67, is animated and interesting. The works of this latter author, who died in the year 1633, and in the 74th of his age, are briefly noticed by Sandius, in his Bibliotheca Anti-Trinitariorum, 1684, 8vo. p. 89. It may be worth adding that Sandius's superficial account of the history of early printing in Poland, forms® the text of Lackman's treatise upon the same; but the latter has enriched the original with notes, which are at least ten times more copious than the text. The presses that were worked by Rodeckius and Sternacius, contributed much to the aid of the diffusion of knowledge in Poland: of the latter, Lackman says, that his printing filled the world with a great multitude of books.' But it must not be forgotten that Rodeckius's Polish New Testament of 1577, was preceded by a similar version of the Bible, printed by Daniel de Leczyca in 1572; nine years after the above. Lackman; p. 97-104. It would appear that Sandius was ignorant of Radziwil's edition, the title of which is given by Lackman upon the authority of Kohl and Le Long; p. 68, note.

- From the ivth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, (fol. 66. rect.) I present the reader with a fac-simile of the splendid type of this volume:

The N. Testament concludes with the last chapter of the Revelations, on the reverse of fol. 143, from its commencement; the leaves being numbered afresh. There are marginal notes throughout both the Old and the New Testament, which are referred to in the text by roman letters. An alphabetical table of names, in seven leaves, not numbered, concludes the volume; the following colophon being on the reverse of the seventh leaf:

Ty Nayprzedniensze y nazacniensze

ksiegi, dla cwiczenia w zakoniech Bozych, ktore zowa po Grecku y po Lacinie, Biblia, Drukowano w Brzesciu Litewskim z roskazania a nakladem Gswieconego Pana, Pana Nikolaia Radziwila ksiazecia na Olycey na Nieswiezu, Woiewody Wilenskiego, w Wielkim ksiestwie Lithewskin nawyzszego Narzalka, ykanclerza, etcet. Roku Panskiego, tysiacnego, piecsetnego, szescdziesia thego trzeciego, Niesiaca Wrzesnia dnia czwartego.

The preceding is probably as minute a description of this extraordinary volume as has yet been presented to the public; although Ringeltaube in his Gründliche Nachricht von Polnischen Bibeln, Dantz. 1744, 8vo. may furnish the curious with more extended and useful details. Clement, in the Ivth volume of his Bibliothèque Curieuse, p. 190-2, has availed himself of the aid of Ringeltaube; from whom we learn that PRINCE RADZIWIL was the liberal patron of this publication; that he procured a printer of the name of Woiewodky, to come from Cracow to Pinczow, a small adjoining town, where nearly twenty learned men (whose names are enumerated by Ringeltaube) laboured for six years at the present translation. During the whole time they were generously maintained by Radziwil; who, moreover, defrayed the expenses of the publication, which amounted to three thousand ducats.

Although the Polish Prince was at the head of the then sect of Socinians, yet, as their separation from the reformed church did not take place till 1565, the present version is equally claimed by the Reformists; and the preceding extracts sufficiently attest its being a copy of the Vulgate text. Melchior Adam, in his Lives of the German Lawyers, gives us some account of this version; copies of which (he says) were bought and burnt malitia adversariorum,'* 'c'est là (observes Clement) le meilleur moien de pousser un livre à la dernière rareté.' 'Janozki, more than 60 years ago, pronounced a copy of it to be worth a hundred crowns. Schelhorn, Freytag, Vogt, and Bauer

* Perhaps a thorough knowledge of the bibliographical history of this interesting volume, cannot be acquired without a perusal, as well of the above authorities, as of H. Strobandus's Hist. Typog. Thorunensis; or the Vita et obitus Henrici Strobandi; which seems to have supplied Melchior Adam with his principal materials. The testimony of Stanislaus Lubieniecius, as adduced by Lackman in his Selecta Quædam Capita Annalium Typographicorum, 1740, 4to. p. 67, is animated and interesting. The works of this latter author, who died in the year 1633, and in the 74th of his age, are briefly noticed by Sandius, in his Bibliotheca Anti-Trinitariorum, 1684, 8vo. p. 89. It may be worth adding that Sandius's superficial account of the history of early printing in Poland, forms the text of Lackman's treatise upon the same; but the latter has enriched the original with notes, which are at least ten times more copious than the text. The presses that were worked by Rodeckius and Sternacius, contributed much to the aid of the diffusion of knowledge in Poland: of the latter, Lackman says, that his printing filled the world with a great multitude of books.' But it must not be forgotten that Rodeckius's Polish New Testament of 1577, was preceded by a similar version of the Bible, printed by Daniel de Leczyca in 1572; nine years after the above. Lackman; p. 97-104. It would appear that Sandius was ignorant of Radziwil's edition; the title of which is given by Lackman upon the authority of Kohl and Le Long; p. 68, note.

are only transcripts of the preceding authorities. De Bure speaks of the most perfect known copy of it, in the Emperor's Library at Vienna; with which, in fact, the present perfect copy has been collated. He is unjust in dispraising the type and wood-cuts; as the bad quality of the paper only produces the rude aspect of the pages: Bibl. Instruct. vol. i. n°. 79. Peignot is laconic but interesting: Dict. des Livres condamnés, supprimés, ou censurés; vol. ii. p. 67. He notices a copy in the public library at Stuttgard. Another is in the Duke of Brunswick's library. The Bishop of Ely had one nearly perfect. The noble owner of the present copy was obliged to give 100 guineas for two imperfect copies, to render his own complete.

VOL. 1.