Gerson, Johannes (1363-1429)
Conclusiones de Diversis Materiis Moralibus, sive de Regulis Madatorum.

[Cologne: Ulrich Zel, not after 1470].

Quarto, [a]-[e]8, complete, 40 of 40 leaves, with first and last blanks present; two large contemporary gilt initials on recto and verso of first leaf; text in gothic letter, single column throughout, rubricated throughout, with initials, paragraph marks, and stroked capitals in a contemporary hand in red; bound in 19th century half leather with marbled paper boards; with a four-page autograph letter signed by Harvard Librarian John Langdon Sibley (1804-1885) to Mrs. M.W. Chapman, dated March 1843, tipped onto ffep, regarding this book, saying in part "It is the oldest printed book I have seen, and perhaps the oldest printed book in America." In a post script, he amends this statement, noting that Harvard has since received a gift of two books that may be earlier from Dr. Greenwood's library; subsequently purchased at the 1855-1856 Christmas Anti-slavery Bazaar in Boston by John Carter Brown, with a signed dated inscription on free endleaves, 7 3/4 x 5 1/2 in.

Goff G203; H 7639*; Voull(K) 462; Pell 5142; Aquilon 310; Arnoult 670; Fernillot 271; Zehnacker 963; Castan(Besançon) 481; Polain(B) 1600; IDL 1938; SI 1636; Coll(U) 588; Madsen 1704; Günt(L) 915; Ohly-Sack 1214; Borm 1125; Finger 412; Voull(B) 673; Voull(Trier) 328; Kind(Göttingen) 2128; Oates 368, 369; Bod-inc G-100; Sheppard 642; Pr 869; BMC I 189; BSB-Ink G-137; GW 10734; ISTC ig00203000