DRAUD, Georg.

Two very early and groundbreaking bibliographical reference books by ‘that indefatigable tracker- down’ George Draud (1573-c.1630), recording editions printed from 1500-1610, frequently bound together. This volume was part of Frantz Ritter von Hauslab’s library, an Austrian general and cartographer, who introduced colour lithography into cartography in 1826 and owned a prominent library and art collection. Bequeathed to his carer Laura Bertruch, it was inherited by prince Johann II in 1883. It later fell into the possession of Austrian politician Ernst Zenker, who wrote on the history of anarchist theory. The first work divides books by language, each section written in the language of the corresponding books. The largest section is dedicated to French books, while others focus on Italian, Spanish and Belgian literature. The t-p lists further languages, found in separate volumes, made clear by the final advertisement for a catalogue of Hungarian works. It was intended to be a comprehensive list of all the most popular publications printed in the previous century. Subjects vary greatly, even within categories, and theological works include Protestant and Catholic. There are references to books on law, politics, medicine, economics, history, cosmography, maths, architecture, geometry, astronomy, arithmetic, philology, poetry and music. Most notable is the small section devoted to erotic and gynaecological works, containing the eulogistically named ‘La louange des femmes’, penned under the comically contrasting pseudonym ‘André Misogyne’, likely a man named Thomas Sébillet, who discusses marriage. Other works in this section focus primarily on the theme of love, making for a surprising and amusing addition to the mostly academic bibliography.

The second work, dedicated to the Burgrave of Friedberg, a local German magnate, includes only German texts, with a large emphasis on religious and legal works, as well as the history of Germany. Other subjects are headed under the title of ‘other arts’, which comprises works on alchemy, architecture, child rearing, arithmetic, etc… in addition to calendars and dictionaries; there is also a section about America, ‘In section ‘Libri historici, geographici et politici’ are included categories for America, Florida, India Occidentalis, Insularum description, Peruviana & Virginia’ (Alden 611/32). First title not in Alden but the section ‘Libri historici, geographici et politici’ lists many works relating to the New World. USTC: (i) 5040774, (ii) 2028850, BL Cat: D671, D672, Bestermann: pp. (i) 331, (ii) 1177-8.