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.

APOCALYPSIS SANCTI JOHANNIS
One of the earliest of the Block Books

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.

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. vēdāt=vendant, bonū=bonum, terrā=terram. (~) 2nd, above or through a letter=the omission of more than one letter, e.g. aĩa=anima, ar=aliter, aia=animalia, ablao=ablatio, Wintoñ=Wintonia, no=nobis, &c. A straight line through a consonant also denotes the omission of one or more letters, e.g. vo=vobis, qđ=quod, &c.

2. =er, or re, as the sense requires, e.g. ra=terra, dictus=predictus, i.e. prædictus.

3. The diphthong is sometimes represented thus, terr or terr=terræ.

4. A straight or curved line through the letter p, thus, =per, por, and par. A curved line, thus =pro.

5. The character at the end of a word=us, omnib=omnibus, also et, deb=debet.

6. The figure at the end of a word=rum, ras, res, ris, and ram; eo=eorum, lib=libras or libris, Windeso=Windesores, Alieno=Alienoram, &c.

7. =etiam, =que, quia, and quod; at commencement of a word=com or con; mitto=committo, victo=convicto. This contraction is also printed thus, . =concordia or