Educational sammelband circa late 17th century

This article describes the provenance, contents, and provides selected transcriptions from the manuscript portions of this collection--the Visus Libelli. For further details, please consult this item's Hamnet record V.a.615.

Provenance

Like many early modern manuscripts, the provenance of this sammelband is unknown. But, it is an excellent example of learning practices of the time. The one name that does appear is that of Sir William Waller (c. 1639-1699), who was a politician who took his own Grand Tour during 1656. Waller's name appears on the final leaf of the Farnaby text bound in this work.

About the sammelband

Visus Libelli contains printed extracts from at least sixteen printed educational titles, mostly in Latin, which are then framed by manuscript prefatory and postscript material, curricula, and a table of contents. Its size was one of its chief assets. Instead of having to travel with an entire library of text books devoted to mathematics, medicine, languages, theology, and astronomy, a tutor could carry a single, very rotund, duodecimo. The compiler provides a unique window into the intended use of his work, and into the needs of tutors on the Grand Tour, which had its beginnings in England at the time that he compiled the book.

For a fuller description of this work, see its featured post on the Folger blog, The Collation.

Selected manuscript transcriptions

Title

Visus Libelli

This Vade-Mecum Memorial Ma=

nual of Muses, or Compleate Compen=

dious Complexe and Companion, of

Learned Languages Sciences,

Scarcely another to be seen so short,

small and full, is most fitt and servicea=

ble

(folio 1r)

Selected alternate titles

I. Or a Travelling Tutor

and Disciple abroad, or

else much rising and walking

at home. 1. Because this Little

Library of Learnings and lan=

guages saves the troubles and

paines of carrying and turning

great many book-baggages.

(folio 1r)

7. Makes at last a full Treasure of

heart, mind, memory and iudgement,

without whimsing and confounded

Quack cawdle or hotch-potch:

all in a due Right nature and Or-

der of things, both Old and New

Rarities, by a full heart, and

Ingenious exercised iudgement, not

by a pocked paper, and cunning

Coucheon Copy-hold, or a babbling

Quack spirit.

(folios 1v-2r)

[II.] 5. The young Scholar alone, or

with his more or less Learned Com=

panion, may turn, talk, or Con=

verse together, in and with this

Little Library Companion: till

the Book once will be well

wasted, far above the money-

worth.

(folio 2r)