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Polyanthea is a collection of extracts and quotations from literature. Nani Mirabelli’s encyclopaedic work of nearly 700 pages was one of the first general reference works to be published using the new technology of the printing press, and it became one of the most popular reference works of the sixteenth century. The entries are listed in Latin, alphabetically by topic, from ‘abactor’ (cattle thief) to ‘zelotipia’ (jealousy).
At the back someone has drawn an owl, with a human nose, and has also written the words: ‘for god is a goode lorde’. Click 'Show more' below to see a detail of the owl and a view of the whole page.

Citation:
Domenico Nani Mirabelli, Polyanthea opus suauissimis floribus exornatum (Basel, 1512),
Marsh's Library Exhibits,
accessed December 6, 2025,
https://www.marshlibrary.ie/digi/items/show/599