R. Gergely (ed.): Microcard catalogue of the rare hebrew codices, manuscripts and anciens prints in the Kaufmann Collection reproduced on microcards

Prof. Ignácz Goldziher's lecture

Hebrew typography. From this period Venice is represented by 54 pieces, Mantua by 18, Riva di Trento by 16, Ferrara by 5, Cremona and Bologna by 4 each, Sabionetta by 3, Fano by 2, Naples, Pesaro, Soncino, Verona by 1 each ; on 5 Italian prints the place of printing is not indicated. Besides these Italian prints, there are from the 16th century 16 books from Istanbul, 5 from Salonica, 1 from Fdirne

, 5 from Cracow, 1 each from Basle, Breisgau (the famous travel-book of Benjamin of Toledo), Lublin, and Prague. Of course, from the 17th century on, from the later periods of printing, the prints increase in number. For the elucidation of the richness of the prints the following information may be characteristical. The other day I recieved the second issue of the work by Captain Eusébe Vassel, who displays a valuable scientific activity in the Institut de Carthage, on the Hebrew literature and printing in Tunisia. The captain is a genuine expert in this field and does a signal service to the history of modern Oriental literature. Under Nr. 144 of his bibliographical record he mentions a collection of Tunisian Arab songs, printed at Leghorn in 1886—87, in three volumes. The Tunisian editor, afflicted by a family disaster which befell him after the ending of the 3rd volume, was so desperately grieved that he committed the entire edition to the flames. "Non seulement il arréta la publication, mais encore il receuillit les exemplaires sortis de ses mains et les brűla." For this reason "les volumes imprimés sont, naturellement, ä peu prés introuvables." The author himself, who lives in Tunisia, expounds the scheme and content of the work on the basis of single incoherent and corrupt fragments only which happened to fall into his hands.

9 Now, of this work which is said to be „introuvable" in the place of its origin, there exist two complete volumes at Budapest, under Nrs. 621 I/II (s. v. Sefinat Ma'lüf) in our collection. The scientific value of the old books is still enhanced by an external circumstance. They had ever been in the possession of learned collec tors till they got into that of Kaufmann who continued the traditions of his erudite predecessors. Some of them contributed valuable marginal notes to the books, by which they helped to enlarge the •See Eusébe Vassel, La littérature populaire des Israélites de Tunis,. Paris, Leroux 1905—06, p. 97. 19