Domsa Károlyné, Fekete Gézáné, Kovács Mária (szerk.): Gondolatok a könyvtárban / Thoughts in the Library (A MTAK közleményei 30. Budapest, 1992)
KÖNYVTÁR ÉS HAGYOMÁNY – LIBRARY AND TRADITION
G. Strempel of Antim Ivireanul in printing matters, of course. The same Mihail Stefanovici is the author of thirty laudatory verses dedicated to the national emblem, in honour of Constantin the Great. Two years later, in 1698, carrying a printing machine that was made at Snagov, Mihail Stefanovici is commissioned to Alba Iulia to teach the printing art in Romanian language. Actually, Mihail Stefanovici had been also empowered to observe and inform Constantin Brincoveanu about the religious unrest in Transylvania that finally resulted in many believers to reject the orthodox faith and pass under the Roman ecclesiastic authority Mihail Stefanovici's mission as an observer is proved by his return to Bucharest after the schism in 1700. In Alba Iulia our typographer printed only two books, both in 1699: First Spelling Book and Gospel Book (that is a Book of Homilies or "Chiriacodromion" as it was widely known) the latter also including an afterword praising the care of Wallachia's Prince for Romanians in Transylvania and his support to the Romanian Church beyond the Carpathians. Mihail Stefanovici disappears from the typographic market and for the next six years nobody knows his whereabouts. It is difficult to speculate upon his pursuits during such a long time since his name fails to appear on any of the numerous books printed by Antim. He might have been on a mission in Holland or elsewhere to specialize in type casting as it would actually happen a couple of years later. Maybe so. Anyway, in 1706, we find him again as typographer of Antim, now Bishop of Rimnic, signing the printing block of all books, either in Romanian or in Greek. A particular place in the gallery of books printed by Mihail Stefanovici in 1706 is the Prayer Book, translated by Antim into Romanian from Nicolae Glykei's Greek edition printed in Venice in 1691. We lay a particular importance upon the ample laudationes on behalf of the typographer to his Protector, mentioning some biographic data about Antim. Moreover, towards its end, Mihail Stefanovici makes the confession that he had learned the printing art from Antim not elsewhere, as some scholars once claimed: "... cause also the seed of the fruit of this craft, from the beginning to the end, springs from Thy love for God". Mihail Stefanovici used to compare Antim to Joseph, Jacob's son; sold by his brothers in Egypt. As Joseph, destined to reign over Egypt and save the life of the family of Jacob, his father, so was Antim's fate to nourish the souls of the Romanian people through his printings. And Mihail Stefanovici proceeds: "His Highness and powerful Lord, Constantin Brincoveanu, seeing and witnessing Thy worship of God and in full admiration of Thy wit, found You worthy and skilled not to read dreams but to make and achieve useful things". As Jacob, Antim had been taken slave and sold. As Joseph, who had loaded Egypt's granaries, Antim endowed the churches of his country and those of all orthodox world with books 98 Thoughts in the library "
