Speculum clericorum

8vo (132 x 90mm.), 32 leaves, a-d⁸ (last leaf blank), 36 lines, gothic type, woodcut printer's device on title-page, 6-line woodcut initials, modern boards, early annotations, cut close at head

"De sans chanoyne de Foix", early inscription at end; "...Sancti Johannis de Virginibus...", obscured inscription on final blank

Not listed in any of the bibliographies of incunabula or Lyon printing; Polain, Marques, Maréchal and Chaussard IV

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

RARE. We have only been able to trace one other copy of this edition, in the municipal library of Toulouse. An edition was printed by Geoffroy de Marnef in 1502.

Mareschal and Chaussard worked in partnership certainly from 1495, and possibly from 1492, until 1507 (then Chaussard's son Barnabé took over the business from 1511 to 1515). Of the four printer's devices mentioned in BMC (viii, p. 316), the one used in this book (B²), with the spelling "chaussart", was in use from 1499. They printed many popular tracts and pamphlets, many of which survive in single copies and are often dated by the state of the printer's device. They were known as plagiarisers, so it is not impossible that they copied this work from de Marnef's edition.

The book is anonymous, but authorship has been ascribed to the prolific Dionysius Carthusianus, and to Gerardus Stredam (died 1443), another Carthusian. The latter was known as the author of a Speculum religiosorum, and at the end of this work, the author writes "...sicut scripsi in speculo religiosorum..." (...as I wrote in the Speculum religiosorum...). De Marnef produced an edition of the Speculum religiosorum in 1500.