Apocalypsis Sancti Johannis.--This work consists of forty-eight pages of woodcuts about ten and a-half inches high by seven and a-half broad, printed in ink or distemper of a greyish-brown tint on thick paper on one side only. Each page is equally divided into two subjects, taken from the Apocalypse, one above the other. The cuts are engraved in the simplest manner, without any attempt at shading, as will be seen on examination of our print, which forms the first page of the book. In the upper half St. John is addressing three men and one woman. The words in the label Conversi ab idolis per predicationem beati Johannis Drusiana et ceteri are literally 'Drusiana and the others are converted from idols by the preaching of the blessed John.' The letter a indicates page 1. In the lower half we see St. John baptizing Drusiana in a very small font in a small chapel; outside are six ill-looking men trying to peep in through the chinks of the door. Over the chapel are the words Sanctus Johannes baptisans, and over the men Cultores ydolorum explorantes facta ejus, literally, 'Worshippers of Idols spying on his acts.' Two of the idolaters are armed with hatchets, as if they intended to break open the door. [The Latin words, in accordance with the usual practice of the monks, are contracted in a manner very puzzling to those unused to these mediæval writings.] There are several editions of the Apocalypsis, all apparently of German origin. {17} [Illustration: APOCALYPSIS SANCTI JOHANNIS _One of the earliest of the Block Books_] {18} Many bibliographers, treating of block books and arguing from the very simple style of the drawings and engravings, consider that the 'Apocalypsis' was the first that was produced. Many worse woodcuts were issued in the eighteenth century. It would be very hazardous indeed to fix a date by the quality of woodcut illustrations. In order to assist our readers in reading the text printed with the early woodcuts, we give them a key to the most usual abbreviations of Monkish Latin. ************************************************************************* ** Transcriber's note: In paragraph 1. [-e] denotes a letter with a ** ** straight line over (or through the riser), [~e] the same with a ** ** tilde-like curve. ** ************************************************************************* 1. A right line, thus (-), and a curve, thus (~), placed horizontally over a letter, denote: (-) 1st, over a vowel in the middle or end of a word, that _one letter_ is wanting, _e.g._ v[-e]d[-a]t=_vendant_, bon[-u]=_bonum_, terr[-a]=_terram_. (~) 2nd, above or through a letter=the omission of _more than one letter_, e.g. a[~i]a=_anima_, a[~l]r=_aliter_, a[~l]ia=_animalia_, abla[~c]o=_ablatio_, Winto[~n]=Wintonia, no[~b]=_nobis_, &c. A straight line through a consonant also denotes the omission of one or more letters, _e.g._ vo[-b]=_vobis_, q[-d]=_quod_, &c.