Clavis diplomatica, tradens specimina veterum scripturarum, nimirum alphabeta varia, compendia scribendi medii aevi, notariorum veterum signa nonnulla curiosa, una cum alphabeto instrumenti et abbreviaturis, singula tabulis aeneis exhibita. Hanover, heirs of N. Forster,

Engraved arms on title-page of George II of England (the dedicatee), 32 engraved plates (one folding) showing ancient scripts, woodcut figures (alphabets), head- and tail-pieces. 4to. [3]ff. 112pp. [1]f. 80pp. [1]f. Contemporary vellum.

First edition. Baring (1690-1753) was a German historian and assistant conservator at the Hanoverian Library where he first had the opportunity to form a "diplomatic library"; the result of his researches, the Clavis Diplomatica is his principle work. The volume contains works by two other scholars: Commentatio de variis scripturarum by Jean Mabillon (1632-1707) who is credited with creating the science of diplomacy, and Dissertatio de criteriis manuscriptorum by Burkhard Gotthelf Struve (1671-1738), a German bibliographer who was librarian at the University of Jena. The work is well illustrated with examples of ancient scripts and includes at the end an extensive bibliography of works on diplomacy. A little foxed.Brunet I, 656.

Stock Code: 41871