caritatis opera que ipi facere etia teneat dūmodo tñ ex ɔfidentia reissionis hmōi quod absit peccare non presumant Alioqui dicta concessio quo ad plenaria remissionē in mortis articulo et remissio quo ad pcta ex ɔfidentia vt pmittit ɔmissa nulli sint roboris uel momēti Et quia deuoti Henricus Deupprecht et Anna vxor eius * Iuxta dictu indultum de facultatibus suis pie erogauert. merito huiusmodi indulgentiis gaudere debet In veritatis testimonium Sigillum ad hoc ordinatum presentib; litteris testimonialib; est appensum. Datum Wurtspurg Anno dni Mcccclv die uero Septima Mensis Martij.

Forma plenifsime absolutionis et remissionis in vita Misereatur tui c dñs nr ihesus xps p sua sctissimā et piissimā mīa; te absoluat Et aucte ipi' beato4q; petri et pauli Apl'oz ei' ac Aucte Apl'ica michi omissa et tibi ɔcessa Ego te absoluo ab omib; pctis tuis ɔtritis ofessis oblitis Etia ab omib; casib' excessib' crimib' atque delictis quatūcuq; grauib; Sedi Apl'ice reseruatis Necnon a quibuscuq; excōicationu suspension et interdicti Aliisq: snūs cēsuris

penis eccl'asticis a Jure vel ab hoie pmulgatis si quas incurristi dando tibi pleissima oim pcto tuoz indulgentiā remissione Inquatū claues sancte matris eccl'ie in hac pte se extendūt. In nomine patris filii et spiritus sancti Amen.

Forma plenarie remissionis in mortis articulo Misereatur tui x. dñs noster ut supra Ego te absolvo ab omib; pctis tuis otritis ofessis oblitis restituendo te vnitati fideliū sacramentis eccl'ie Remittendo tibi penas purgatorii quas propter culpas et offensas incurristi dando tibi plenariam oim pctoz remissionē. Inquatū claues

* In the Original, the words here printed in italics, are in manuscript; another word above follows, which is illegible.

Indulgent. 1455.] THE INFANCY OF PRINTING.

xlvii

ste mris eccl'ie in hac parte se extendūt. In noie přis et filii et spus sancti Amen.

To one of these copies is appended the precious relic of the ORIGINAL PAPAL SEAL. The lover of antiquarian rarities will be pleased with the ensuing representation of it, drawn and engraved with great truth and delicacy by Mr. Hodgetts.

I subjoin a fac-simile of the latter part of the fourth line, which specifies the time from which the indulgence is granted, and another of the last line, denoting the time to which the indulgence extends; from which latter, the date of the instrument is gathered: although it is probable that many were dated between the years 1452 and 1455.

prima die Odani anni dni Odcccclii incipiendum

Datum

die uezo

anno dni Occccto Menfis

A specimen of the large capital initials-each of which is prefixed to one of the three sentences of which the instrument is composed-as well as a fac-simile of the large letter, prefixed by way of title, to the third and last sentence-may not be unacceptable:

V o

Fonna pleuîfîuue abfolutionis et ramiflionis in vita

The foregoing description may be considered sufficiently particular in a bibliographical point of view. It is now essential to say something appertaining to the history of the transactions to which these Instruments relate. Lambinet, the last bibliographer who has treated of the subject,* has incorporated the leading points of this history; and has inspected the work of Haeberlin itself: the latter is a piece of good fortune, which all my enquiries and exertions have not yet enabled me to enjoy. It will also be essential to review Lambinet's own statement, as it contains a few mistakes necessary to rectify.

Baronius, or rather his continuator Raynaldi, in the xviiith vol. of the Ecclesiastical Annals, mentions almost all the documents, or instruments, which issued from the Roman chancery during the Pontificate of Nicolas V.; and among these, none are found as dated or published at Erfurt or Luneburg, &c. In the year 1452, the Turks carried fire and sword into Epirus, and almost the whole of Greece.† Cyprus was

Origine de l'Imprimerie, &c. vol. i. p. 122-9, edit. 1810.

↑ In a very extraordinary collection of early Orations-delivered on the accession of new, or on the funeral of deceased, Popes and public characters of eminence-and printed, in all probability, at no very great distance of time from the actual delivery of these orations -I made a diligent but fruitless search for facts which might be connected with the printing and publication of the above LETTERS OF INDULGENCE. Yet, in this exceedingly interesting collection, it has been my good fortune to discover many curious accounts illustrative of the TURKISH WAR above mentioned; and, among others, I shall present the reader with a short extract from the Oration pronounced by Eneas Sylvius (afterwards Pope Pius II.) before Pope Calixtus III; the successor of Nicolas V. It was delivered in the year 1455.

menaced; and the Pontiff wrote to John II. to fortify the walls of his capital, Nicosia, and to resist the attacks of the musselmen: promising to defray the expenses, attending this measure, by the sums of money which his Letters of Indulgence might produce. This Epistle is dated in June 1452. In the same year, these printed Letters of Indulgence were issued. In the year 1454, Nicolas sent John Capistrano, an Italian, and Inquisitor General, to Wurtzburg, Frankfort, &c. to carry the Letters of Indulgence into effect, and to preach the cause of the Crusade against the Turks; but besides these Apostolical missionaries sent by the Pope, the King of Cyprus had, in the same states, ambassadors, &c. of whom Paulinus Chappe, mentioned in these Instruments, was unquestionably one. Pope Nicolas V. died at Rome in March, 1455. Thus much for the historical sketch: from which it will at

Sane cum accepisset Fredericus [III.] imperator: sanctissime atque indelibilis memorie NICOLAVM PAPAM QVINTVM predecessorem tuum: ex hac mortali luce migrasse: complures illum dies luxit. Non quidem eius causa: quem pro suis gloriosis operibus: et animi rectitudine in concilio beatissimorum spirituum: et in regno dei cum Petro et Paulo iam receptum non dubitabat: sed propter rempublicam christianam: cui mortem Nicolai hoc tempore functissimam existimabat: timens ne pro successoris electione sacri senatus opiniones in diuersa tendentes: inconsutilem Christi tunicam scinderent: &c.

The author then proceeds to call the attention of Calixtus, to the great national objects which, on his assumption of the purple, it behoved him to carry into effect: and he thus notices the war with the Turks:- Secunda vt defendendam contra Thurcos catholicam ecclesiam tue beatitudini commendemus-Nunc de secunda nostre commissionis causa transigere oportet: hoc est de tuendo nomine christiano contra THURCOS: non dico TEUCROS.'-The distracted state of Christian Europe is afterwards described. O stulticiam populi christiani: o cecitatem atque amentiam: ab externis inuadimur hostibus: et nos in ciues arma conuertimus. Sed digne patimur pro nostris iniquitatibus: nulla inter nos concordia : nulla obedientia est: neque spirituali paremus: neque temporali capiti: iacet spreta religio: iusticie nullus honos: fides pene incognita est: Rex quisque sibi et pontifex esse videtur: quot capita tot sententie: scinduntur in incertum studia in contraria vulgus: illic Germaniam mille conturbant lites: INTER GALLIAM ET ANGLIAM VETUS ODIVM VIRET: Hispanie reges inimicat ambitio: Italiam iam magno labore pacatam novus iam turbo concutit: nova exurunt apud Senas incendia. Quid speremus: his moribus procuratores MAHUMETI sumus: viam Christi patefacimus hosti: et terga nudamus que feriat. Quid dicam?' &c.

The Orator next characterises the Turkish nation, in terms not very gentle; and encourages the Pope to proceed with vigour, promising him a successful termination to his warlike career:- Tu ne cede malis sed contra audentior ito: quo difficilius eo preclarius ages. Non est impossibile si mihi credis Constantinopolim: totamque Greciam de manibus turchorum eripere: si modo his itineribus incedamus que sunt aptissima: neque mari: neque terra Christiane potentie thurci sunt pares: et hominibus: et equis: et nauibus: et curribus: et quibuslibet armis: et rei militaris peritia superiores sumus et auro: Quod si armetur christianum robur: fugient hostes sicut stipula ante faciem uenti:'- But it is time to pause. This extraordinary volume, from the Harleian library, is in the present collection; and each oration in it will be specifically but briefly noticed in a future part of this work. * Sic pro funestissimam.

least follow, that these Instruments were executed in the same year before his decease; or were printed at the beginning of the year, to be executed at any period within the same.

It must however be noticed that, in the very rare and curious Papal Chronicle, printed by Philip de Lignamine in 1474, (vide vol. iii. post.) no mention is made of these printed Letters of Indulgence, in the brief biography of Pope Nicolas V. Nor have I been able to discover any account of them, in an equally rare tract, printed in the office of Fust and Schoeffer, without date; expressly upon the subject of Granting Indulgences. The title of this latter tract is as follows: Tractatus compositus per Reverendum magistrum nostrum Magistri Johannem de fabrica ordinis fratrum minorum sacre pagine professorem famosissimum Parisiis in prefati ordinis scola regentem super declaracione Indulgentiarum concessarum pro animab in purgatorio.' There is another short treatise of the same kind, by Magister Nicolaus Richardi'; and a third by Abp. Anthony. The name of Pope Nicolas V.—as connected with Indulgences-is twice mentioned; but the authors seem to have been ignorant of the printing of them. Even the Papal biography of Platina does not, as far as I can discover, contain any account of them. Although Platina is copious and interesting in his Life of Nicolas V., and duly records this pontiff's love of letters and of learned men—as well as his broils with the Turks, and the capture of Constantinople-yet the execution of these PRINTED Letters either escaped his memory, or they were considered too unimportant for notice. Consult the beautiful and rare edition of the Vita Pontificum printed by John de Colonia, &c. 1479, Fol. sign. cc vij and viij—dd i and ij. The first printed letter of indulgence inserted by Wilkins in his Magna Concilia, is that of Pope Pius II. A. D. 1464: see vol. iii. p. 387.

Lambinet questions the accuracy of the dating of these Instruments at Erfurt ;-but the present have no such date. He says, too, that the copy of these Letters of Indulgence, described by Schelhorn and Meerman, is now in the Library of Lord Spencer, one of the most precious in Europe'; and he adds, that it is without a printed date.' Here are two errors. In the first place, neither of these is the copy which was in the possession of Schelhorn and Meerman; and, in the second place, both have printed dates-of one of which a fac-simile has been just given. Haeberlin, according to Lambinet, describes a copy of these Instruments as being in octavo, in 2 pages and a half; and Lambinet himself asks, whether it be a square leaf of vellum, in the form of a patent,