Johannes Trithemius. Compe[n]diu[m] siue Breuiariu[m] primi uoluminis Annalium siue historiarum: de origine regum et gentis Francorum (Compendium or Summary of the First Volume of the Annals or Histories About the Origin of the Frankish Kings and People).
Mainz: Johann Schöffer, 1515.

Folio.  [112] pages. 261 x 183 mm.  Modern tooled calf binding.

Trithemius planned a three-volume chronicle of the history of the Franks, and this first volume takes the history of the Frankish kingdom up to 749, just before the reign of Pippin, father of Charlemagne. This is the first printed edition.

The book is most famous, however, not for its historical records but for the printer’s colophon shown here with its argument that the invention of printing should be credited not to Johann Gutenberg but to his associates Johann Fust and Peter Schöffer. The printer who composed this apologia was Peter Schöffer’s grandson. The refusal to credit Gutenberg is ironic since Trithemius himself paid lavish tribute to Gutenberg and his invention. The owner of this particular copy added at the end of the annals a note about Trithemius’ death in 1516, commenting, “and he erred in many things” (et in multis erravit). The comment is more likely about Trithemius’ dabblings in the magical arts than about his views on the invention of printing!