Scarce early edition of this unusual, and fascinating book of moral advice for farmers. It follows the model of the medieval “mirror” genre of writing for kings, princes, and others, but, interestingly, is the only book of this type written for agricultural workers (Henn). Its prolific author, monk and chronicler Werner Rolewinck (1425-1502), was himself a son of farmers of Westphalia and a Carthusian monk of Cologne, where our book was printed.
Here Rolewinck explains to the farmer straightforward rules for a good life. Among other things, they must fear God; respect the agricultural profession; love the clergy; pay dues; observe church rites; give to the poor; keep peace with neighbours; govern their families well; watch against evil; keep away from drinkers, swearers and those who don’t fear God; confess sins; meditate on God’s laws; reflect on the brevity of life, and pray to God for direction towards eternal joys. Importantly, they have high status: “the rustic dignity […] is instituted by God […] above other mechanical arts” (sig. b2 verso). They grow the materials for the Holy Communion - “[God] set it that they make his blessed body and precious blood” (b3 recto) – and in their fundamental and divinely-ordained role of feeding people, “the farmer is the principal co-operator of God, the angels and nature” (ibid.)
Besides farmers, the book is advertised as useful for priests and secular officials. The German regions were to see major rural unrest (including, most famously the German Peasants’ War in 1524-6), which makes this book, addressing rural workers’ lives and praising their standing, especially notable.
This is the only edition printed by Bartholomaeus de Unkel; generally accepted as the third overall edition of this work (the first in 1472), incunable editions of this text are rare, and of the present edition particularly so; we have found only three complete copies recorded in US libraries, at Boston PL, Harvard and the Library of Congress; the Huntington copy is incomplete.
19 short manuscript early marginal glosses (faded), reader’s marks from same time. Light or medium browning, foxing, spotting and staining - including inky finger prints possibly from time of printing (sig. e1 verso).
ISTC ir00294000. BMC I 244. H 13727. GW M38784. Bod-Inc R-100. Goff R294.
Refs: Volker Henn, “Der Bauernspiegel des Werner Rolevinck”. Quelle: Westfälische Zeitschrift 128 (1978), 289-313. Egidius Holzapfel, Werner Rolevincks Bauernspiegel. Untersuchung und Neuherausgabe von “De regimine rusticorum” (Freiburg, 1959). Arnold C. Klebs, “Incunabula scientifica et medica”, Osiris, 4 (1938), 862.3 (p. 286).
OCLC/ISTC: US: Boston PL, Harvard, Washington LoC, Huntington (defective). UK: Cambridge, BL.
