farfel_n01_037_021

Nicholas of Lyra - French theologian & exegete - born Lyre, Normandy,
1270; died Paris c 1349

by 1309 he was a professor of the Sorbonne where he taught for
many years. Deploring the state of Biblical studies in his time, he
set out to change them. His chief work, Postillae Perpetuae,
sive Brevia Commentaria in Universa Biblica, set forth the
literal sense of Scripture, which he considered the most important &
decisive one, & the foundation of all mystical interpretations.
The Postillae was the 1st Biblical commentary to be printed
(Rome 1491-2) & soon became the favorite manuel of exegesis.
Martin Luther frequently used Nicholas's works. Nicholas may
be called the greatest early Bible scholar after Jerome.
( - Biblia Sacra cum Glossa Ordinaria - )

- Sweynheym is regarded as the designer & engraver of
the punches for the types used by the firm.
- in 7 yrs. they had printed more than 50 works amounting
to 11,475 volumes. Of the Bible 550 copies were
printed. 1473 Conrad Sweynheym withdrew from the
partnership & associated himself to Arnold Bucking.
-2nd type - the short final S was not engraved, the old
form of long f apprearing at the end as well as at the
beginning of a word. The i is not dotted, the lower
case a is squat & of an unpleasing form. Some vowels
carry accents.

- Lactantius - 1465 - earliest successful use of Greek in printing
Nicholas of Lyra - comes toward the end of a long line of scholarly
commentators who built up in the Middle Ages the immense
body of commentary on the scriptures known as the
Glossa Ordinaria.
- Before the days of printing 'Additiones' were made to the
Commentaries of Lyra by Paul of Burgos (1350-1435.) See #92