farfel_n06_024_411

Albert was the mostwidely read man of his time, + he
may be the western world's greatest purveyor of knowledge
that was not his own. He was the 1st to see the great
value for theology of the Greco-Arabian science +
philosophy + he took as his aim, to make the whole of his
knowledge, + especially the works of Aristotle, available
to the West. His work embraces the entire spectrum of
[crossed out] (descriptions of some fabulous creatures) [end crossed out] of learning.
but his contributions to the sciences are particularly
important. The De animalibus includes descriptions
of some fabulous creatures, but it also rejects many
popular myths + is noteworthy for its sections on
reproduction + embryilogy.

Printing + the Mind of Man - A. Magnus was the most learned scholar of his age,
the 'Doctor Universalis' of the Middle Ages he was
the most important observer of nature that he Middle
Ages had yet produced, the greatest naturalist since
Pliny. He wrote in the form of paraphrases of Aristotle,
into which he interpolated his personal observations
of naturalist + scientific phenomena, + he had at least
a conception of the importance of experimentalism.

Paulus de Butzback began to print in 1471 together with his
brother Georg under the patronage of Petrus Adam de
Michaelibus. In 1473 Paulus began to print for himself
+ carried on his business till 1481. His later productions
were for the most part theological legal or philosophical
When he ceased printing he continued in Mantova
at least until 1491 as a bookseller.

- A. Magnus - His zoology, De Animalbus, based on that
of Aristotle, replaced the quaint volume, the Physiologus.