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. Modern parchment binding.

Folio.  [112] pages. 304 x 206 mm. Modern parchment binding with tie.

First and last leaves blank.

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.

This copy is shown for its woodcut of the author and his publisher Johann Haselberg presenting their work to the Prince Bishop of Würzburg, Lorenz von Bibra. The large Gothic type used on the facing page for the name of the emperor was reused from the famous Mainz Psalters of 1457 and 1459 printed by Johann Fust and Peter Schöffer. Saint John’s is fortunate to own a leaf from the extremely scarce 1459 edition, which was printed for Benedictine use.