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Of all the books donated to the Friends of the Lexington Public Library, one stands out for how long ago it was printed — as in just a little over a century after the first Gutenberg Bible changed the world.
Transylvania professor John Svarlien was tapped to translate important passages and provide context for the 1582 Italian tome, a legal reference on final wills and testaments.
Written in Latin, the book eventually will go on sale to raise money for the library; contact friends@lexpublib.org for more info. The group sells donated books (much newer ones) out of the Friends Book Cellar in the Central Library’s basement, and what Svarlien found out will help with this particular listing.
Friends of the Library volunteer Margaret “Peg” Nethery donated the book after her father passed it down, said the organization’s manager, Simon Boes. How it got from Italy to Lexington is a mystery, though.
What we do know is Renaissance lawyers used it quite a bit as a reference book. (Don’t be fooled by the music notes on the cover — it’s not the original binding.)
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“It’s all lists of things,” Svarlien said. These include phrases in wills that need clarification and musings on human psychology — like how mad people can get over money. “This is incredibly detailed. I was surprised that you could say so much about the language of wills and testaments, but if it pertains to money, people are very interested.”
Authored by Pisan lawyer Simon de Praetis, the well-researched book was printed in Venice, which by then had become Europe’s great hub for the new publishing industry.
Svarlien noted how it’s a testament to how quickly printing became established. “Movable type revolutionized learning and the dissemination of learning as much as the internet does today,” he said. “You could print 100 of these in far less time than it would take to copy one.” Plus, there’d be fewer errors.
For the time being, the Latin legal guide rests snugly in bubble wrap in a basement sorting room.
“I would say it’s the oldest book in the library, but it’s not available to check out,” Boes quipped.