Beschreibung:

NICOLAUS DE LYRA (ca. 1270-1340). Postilla super totam Bibliam . With the Additiones of Paulus de Sancta Maria, bishop of Burgo (ca.1350-1435), and commentaries of Gulielmus Brito (d.1356) and of Matthias Döring (d. before 1465). [Strassburg: Johann Mentelin, not after 1472]. Volumes I-III of four. Royal 2° (401x287mm). Collation: I:[1 10 (3 or 8), 2-6 10 , 7 12 8-15 10 16 8 (2+1) 17 8 18-20 10 21-22 6 23-27 10 28 2 29-37 10 38 6 ] (1/1r author's prologue on the Scriptures in general, 1/1v author's prologue on working method and arrangement, 1/2v Genesis-Judith, 38/6v blank); II:[39-42 10 43 8 44-46 10 47 10 (3 or 8, 4 or 7) 48-53 10 54 12 55-57 10 58 8 59 6 ] (Hester-Psalms, 59/6 blank); III:[60-61 10 62-65 8 66-67 10 68-69 8 70 6 71-72 10 73 8 74-75 10 76-78 8 79 6 80-81 10 82 8 83-86 10 87 12 88 8 89-91 10 92-94 8 95 6 (5+1) 96-97 10 98-101 8 ] (Proverbs-Maccabees, 101/8 blank). 935 (of 1286, without blank 101/8 and lacking the New Testament) leaves. 62 lines, double column. Type: 5:92 b G. 3- to 9-line initials in red, some in vol. I with decoration and extensions in brown penwork and with yellow and orange wash, capital strokes and underlining in red, headlines in red, contemporary catchwords in vols. I and III, pinholes visible in most lower margins, some MS. guide-letters in vol. III, blanks left for illustrations. (Light scattered dampstains, a few marginal tears without loss, 39/1.10 and last quire reinforced at hinge, some marginal stains in quire 55, dampstain in upper hinge and margin of latter half of vol. III weakening paper, repaired without loss in several leaves until defective 101/5-7 which are accompanied by facsimiles laid in, small wormholes affecting a few letters in vol. III.) Vols. I, III: contemporary pigskin over thick, bevelled, wooden boards, two brass fore-edge clasps and brass edge pieces at corners, outer and inner sheets of each quire with vellum guard laid down (head of both spines and a section of rear cover on vol. III renewed); vol. II: contemporary boards rebacked with modern calf blindstamped in 15th-century style, 2 brass fore-edge clasps (some worming to boards). Provenance : Fremersberg, Franciscan Observants, 17th-century inscription in vol. I; Jesuits (of Gorheim?), stamp in vol. I; some marginal annotations in an early hand in vol. II. SECOND EDITION, printed by Mentelin, first printer at Strassburg. In his great commentary on the Scriptures, Nicholas distinguished between the literal and mystical sense of the Bible, believing that the literal must be understood before the mystical could be interpreted correctly. The influence of the Postills in the late Middle Ages was enormous and continued into the Reformation, having been used by Luther. This is a composite set of the Postills on the Old Testament only, comprising matching volumes I and III and an added volume II. H *10366; BMC I, 56 (IC. 574); Goff N-133; Polain(B) 2820; IDL 3360; IGI 6819 (3)