Doubts Concerning Ungler’s Edition of the Prayer Book Hortulus Animae. Remarks on the Margin of Ludwik Bernacki’s Pierwsza książka Polska (The First Polish Book)

Abstract

The article deals with an interesting discovery made by Władysław Nehring. It concerned eight sheets with a text printed in Polish. They were found in the binding of the box with antique prints from the book collection of the University Library in Wrocław. At first the discoverer thought that the notes must have come from an unknown prayer book from the first half of the 16^th century – Hortulus animae. Nehring became famous owing to a brilliant study that, referring to the thesis presented in it, was entitled Pierwsza książka polska. Despite many doubts and remarks implied by the thorough analysis of Pierwsza książka polska the fact is indisputable that the importance of Bernacki's study is unquestionable. An undeniable advantage of the Hortulus monograph also consists in the unusually mature and precisely elaborated research method that is a blend of typographic, archival and philological methods. The method is difficult, it requires broad knowledge, inquisitiveness, the ability to draw conclusions, and also a lot of patience necessary to conduct a number of in-depth, and first of all laborious, studies.