PREFACE

Since writers are most commonly recognized by what we now call their surname, we have decided that, in compiling this Catalog, we should place the surnames before the given names. We have also set these surnames slightly further out in a larger typeface so that they might more easily catch the reader's eye. Immediately following this is the common title of the book, the place of publication, the printer's first and last name (if available), and finally the year in which the edition was produced. We have also included the format of the book original: "v. g. in 4. in 8. in folio" — for example, in quarto, octavo, or folio, terms referring to the size of a book based on how many times the original printer's sheet was folded, so that under each author’s surname, one can see at a single glance all the works held in our Library written by that individual. A small line — has been drawn after the description of the first book to indicate that the other titles listed below it belong to that same primary author whose surname appears above in larger letters.

In cases where an author's name is missing (which happens quite often), the title of the work itself takes its place. Anonymous and pseudonymous writers have been identified wherever possible; to make them easier to find, they are listed under both their true and their assumed names. This system was maintained not only for the individual works of each author published separately, but also for organizing those works that are circulated as part of other collections. Furthermore—a task which was even more laborious—we have extracted the letters and historical records of Popes, Emperors original: "Pontificum, Cæsarum", and others that were scattered here and there, so that each might be shown under its own author’s name, making them easy to find for any scholar’s needs.

We should also point out that anything seen enclosed in brackets [ ] does not appear in the actual titles of the books; these were added intentionally to provide some explanation. Likewise, where multiple editions of a book are held in this Library, the more complete and superior edition is designated with a different typeface from the others, so that bibliophiles original: "philobibli" — literally "book-lovers" might benefit from this labor of ours, however modest it may be.

Once this first Catalog—which, together with its Appendix, comprises the entire literary collection of our Library arranged by the names of the authors—was completed in this manner, we began a second [catalog] to assist the memory of those who do not immediately know who has written on a particular subject...