R. Percy Simpson, in summing up his discussion of the examples of early printers’ discovered by Sir Walter Greg, the late Gavin Bone, and himself, writes: “These are a few of the treasures which have been revealed to us in recent years: how many more still lurk undetected in our libraries?” I should like to to the question by offering as an addition to the list the Plimpton MS. (de Ricci No. 263) of the translation by Trevisa of Bartholomaeus Anglicus, De Proprietatibus Rerum, from which Wynkyn de Worde printed, probably in 1495, the editio princeps, a book described by Dibdin as, perhaps, the most magnificent publication which ever issued from De Worde's press.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1093/library/s5-VI.1.7