_Fol. 1^a_: BATISTAE DE ALBERTIS POETAE LAVREATI OPVS PRAECLARVM IN
AMORIS REMEDIO FELICITER INCIPIT. _Fol. 20^b_, COLOPHON: BAPTISTAE DE
ALBERTIS POETAE LAVREATI OPVS IN AMORIS REMEDIO VTILISSIMVM FELICITER
FINIT. .M.CCCC.LXXI.
Quarto. Quires [1^8, 2^{12}], 20 leaves, 25 lines to the page,
roman letter, without signatures, catchwords, pagination, place or
printer's name. Two- to six-line spaces left for initials, but the
present copy is without rubrication. Hain *422. Panzer iii. 82, 69;
iv. 5, 16. Pellechet 268. Proctor 7346.
Notwithstanding the Latin title, the work itself is wholly in Italian
and both in the MSS. and in later printed editions is found also under
the title _Deifira ossia del mal principiato amore_. A companion volume
by the same author, with the Latin title _De amore liber_, and the
Italian, _Ecatomfilea ossia del vero amore_, was printed the same year,
in the same type, the same number of leaves and lines to the page. Still
another work in the same type and form and apparently of the same date,
entitled _Historieta amorosa fra Leonora de' Bardi e Hippolito
Bondelmonti_, is attributed on good evidence to De Albertis. Copies of
all three works, printed alike on vellum and bound together in one
volume, formerly in the Mac-Carthy Collection (Catalogue, Paris, 1815,
no. 3595), are now in the Bibliothèque Nationale (_Vélins_ 1964). In the
present copy of _De amoris remedio_ the manuscript signatures _b_ and
_c_, partly cut away, point to an earlier binding, in which the
_Historieta_ consisting of only twelve leaves may possibly have formed
the signature _a_.
Panzer was disposed to identify the peculiar roman type of these volumes
with that used by the fourth printer of Venice, Clemente of Padua,
between whom and Zarotto of Milan, Hain was later in doubt. But Proctor
was convinced that the small group of books to which these belong,
nearly all of them connected in some way with Florence, were the
productions of the first, so far unidentified, press of that city. The
date they bear (1471) places them among the earliest books printed in
the Italian language. Witness the following first editions: Petrarch's
Canzoniere, 1470; Il Decamerone, 1471; La Divina Commedia, 1472.
The present copy, bound in blue morocco, with the crest of the Marquis
of Blandford on side, was sold in his (White Knights) sale in 1819 for
£2. Leaf 9-1/4 × 6-3/4 in.
From the Syston Park sale, December, 1884, with book-plate and the
monogram (J.H.T.) of Sir John Hayford Thorold.
17. AESOPUS. Vita et fabulae græce. Vita et fabulae latine. Fabulae
selectae græce et latine. [Milan], Bonus Accursius, c. 1480.
_Part I._ _Fol. 1^a_: Bonus Accursius Pisanus doctissimo sapientissimo
ducali quæstori Iohanni Francisco turriano salutem plurimam dicit. _Fol.
2^a_: ΑΙΣΩΠΟΥ ΒΙΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΜΥΘΟΠΟΙΟΥ ΜΑΞΙΜΩ ΤΩ ΠΛΑΝΟΥΔΗ
ΣΥΓΓΡΑΦΕΙΣ. _Fol. 33^a_: ΑΙΣΩΠΟΥ ΜΥΘΟΙ. _Fol. 70^a_:
Τελος των του Αισωπου Μυθων. _Part II._ _Fol. 1^a_: Vita Aesopi
fabulatoris clarissimi e græco latina p_er_ Rynucium facta ad
Reuere_n_dissimu_m_ Patre_m_ Dominu_m_ Antonium tituli Sancti Chrysogoni
Presbyteru_m_ Cardinalem _et_ primo prohoemium. _Fol. 32^b_: FINIS.
_Fol. 33^a_: Argumentum fabula_rum_ Aesopi e græco i_n_ latinu_m_. _Fol.
59^b_: Finis. Vita Aesopi per Rynucium thettalum traducta. Verum quoniam
ab eo non nulla fueru_n_t praetetermissa (_sic_): fortassis q_ui_a
græcus eius codex esset minus emendatus: Ego Bonus accursius Pisanus:
eadem in ea omnia correxi; _et_ emendaui. _Fol. 60, blank._ _Part III._
_Fol. 1^a, blank._ _Fol. 1^b_: Bonus Accursius Pisanus doctissimo ac
sapientissimo ducali Quæstori Iohanni francisco Turriano salutem
plurimam dicit. _Fol. 2^a, col. 1_: ΜΥΘΟΙ ΑΙΣΩΠΟΥ, _col. 2_:
Fabulae Aesopi. _Fol. 38^a, col. 1_: ΤΕΛΟΣ ΤΩΝ ΤΟΥ ΑΙΣΩΠΟΥ
ΜΥΘΩΝ. _Col. 2_: FINIS AESOPI FABVLARVM. Bonus Accursius pisanus
impressit: qui non doctorum hominum sed rudium ac puerorum gratia hunc
laborem suscepit.
Quarto. Pt. I, sign. [A-H^8, I^6] not printed, but stamped
irregularly on the extreme lower margin and partially cut away in
the binding, 70 leaves. Pt. II, sign, a-g^8, and four unsigned
leaves at the end, 60 leaves. Pt. III, sign. a-b^8, C-D^8, E^6, 38
leaves, the Greek text and the word-for-word Latin translation in
two parallel columns. Both the Greek and the Latin have 25 lines to
the page or column. Two- to five-line spaces for capitals, with
guide-letters, in both texts, but no rubrication. Two pinholes.
Hain *265+272. Pellechet 185+192. Proctor, Printing of Greek in the
15th cent., p. 60.
This is the first printed edition of any of the Greek classics, and the
third book printed entirely in Greek, or in Greek with a Latin
translation; the first being the Grammar of Lascaris, Milan, 1476, and
the second the Lexicon of Crastonus not later than 1478. All three were
printed with the same font of Greek type made by, or under the
supervision of, Demetrius Damilas, the son of Milanese parents settled
in Crete. Bonus Accursius was rather the publisher than the actual
printer, who in the case of the Lascaris was Dionysius Paravisinus, and
in the case of the Crastonus and the Aesop, probably the brothers de
Honate, who at that date were the possessors of the peculiar roman type
used in the Latin translations. After the Aesop this particular font of
Greek type next appeared in the first edition of Homer, printed at
Florence in 1488 by Bartolommeo di Libri, and in three of his subsequent
books, once at Rome early in the 16th century, after which it disappears
altogether.
In the present edition the Fabulae græce number 147, the Fabulae latine
100, the Fabulae selectae 62. The translator, Rinuccio d'Arezzo, who
dedicates his work to Cardinal Antonio Cerdano, tells him in closing
that he sends all that have come into his hands, though probably not all
that Aesop wrote, since while they stand in alphabetical order, some
letters are wanting and others have not their full quota. Not all copies
have all the three parts, nor are they always bound in the same order.
The present copy, though in all respects complete, is bound irregularly,
as follows: 1. Fabulae selectae. 2. Fabulae græce. 3. Vita Aesopi græce.
4. Vita et fabulae latine. On the verso of the last blank leaf is
written in an early hand "olim fuit _Reverendissimi_ m_agistri_ georgii
de casali."
Mr. Wodhull paid "Edwards" for this copy, in 1799, £14.14s. Bound by
Mrs. Weir in green morocco extra, gilt edges. Leaf 9 × 6 in.
18. OVIDIUS NASO, PUBLIUS. Metamorphoses. Parma, Andreas Portilia, 15
May, 1480.
_Fol. 1, blank_, _2^a_: TABVLAE F∀BVLARVM (_sic_) OVIDII
METAMORPHOSEOS. _Fol. 6^a_: Domitius Calderinus Veronensis. [D]E Ouidii
uita nihil a nobis i_n_ hoc loco scribe_n_du_m_ _est_. _Fol. 7^a_: P.
OVIDII NASONIS SVLMONENSIS METAMORPHOSEOS LIBER PRIMVS. _Fol. 187^b_,
COLOPHON: FINIS Impressum Parmæ Opera Et Impensis Andre_æ_ Portili_æ_
.M.CCCC.LXXX. Idibus Maiis Ioanne Galeazio Maria Mediolani Illustrissimo
Duce Regna_n_te Fœliciter. _Fol. 188, blank._
Folio. Sign. a^6, b-q^8, r^{10}, s-y^8, z^6, &^6. 188 unnumbered
leaves, the first and last blank, 40 lines to the page, roman
letter. Three- to eight-line spaces, with guide-letters, left for
the initials of the fifteen books. Hain *12160.
First initial of each book supplied in red; heading of each book and
each fable underlined in red; initial-strokes in every verse and
paragraph-marks in red. Without the last blank leaf.
Andreas Portilia was the first printer at Parma, where his press was
established in 1472 and continued, with two brief transfers to Bologna
and Reggio, till 1486.
Mr. Wodhull's copy, for which he paid, at the sale of Dr. Chauncy's
library in 1790, £2. Bound in red morocco, with rich gold tooling on
back and sides, and book-plate of Charles Chauncy, M.D. (1706-1777).
Leaf 12 × 8 in.
19. PIUS II. (AENEAS SILVIUS PICCOLOMINI). De duobus amantibus. [Paris,
Michael Friburger, Ulric Gering and Martin Crantz, 1472.]
_Fol. 1_: Aeneæ siluii poætæ laureati, in hystoria_m_ de duobus
ama_n_tibus p_r_æfatio prima ad perq_uam_ generosum milite_m_ Casparem
Slik fœliciter incipit. _Fol. 2^b_: Aeneæ siluii in hystoria_m_ de
duobus ama_n_tibus p_rae_fatio secunda ad Martinu_m_ Sozinu_m_,
Senensem, iuris utriusque p_er_spicacissimum interpretem iocunde
incipit. _Fol. 4^a_: Aeneæ siluii de duobus ama_n_tibus hystoria
perq_uam_ iocunde incipit! _Fol. 44^b_: Vale. ex Vienna quinto nonas
Iulii. anno Millesimo quadringentesimo quadragesimo quarto; COLOPHON:
Aene_æ_ Siluii po_æ_te laureati de duobus ama_n_tibus eurialo _et_
lucresia, finit fœlicit_er_. _Fol. 45, 46, blank._
Quarto. Quires [1-4^{10}, 5^6], 46 leaves, the last two blank, 23
lines to the page, roman letter, without signatures, catchwords,
pagination, place, printer's name or date. Two- to six-line spaces
left for capitals. Claudin XIX. Pellechet 147. Hain 216.
Large initial on first page supplied in blue and gold, with pen
ornamentation in red and blue. Other capitals and the paragraph-marks in
alternate red and blue. Last blank leaf wanting.
This and the two next works of the present list bound with it were
printed at the first Paris press, a private press set up in the Sorbonne
in 1470 by Johann Heynlin, Prior, and Guillaume Fichet, Librarian, of
the University, and maintained by them until April, 1473. During these
three years twenty-two books were printed, all in the same roman type,
copied from the _Cæsar_ of Sweynheym and Pannartz, Rome, 1469. In only
two of them are the actual printers, Friburger and his associates,
named.
To the twenty-eight 15th-century editions--not to speak of the
translations--of this novel described by Hain, Copinger's Supplement
adds half as many more. The present edition is perhaps the third.
Claudin, who makes it the nineteenth in the list of the Sorbonne books,
could trace but four copies. This makes a fifth.
The three books from the Sorbonne press are bound in one volume, red
morocco, gilt edges, with book-plate of Sir William Burrell. It passed
from his possession some years before his death and was bought by
Michael Wodhull at Payne's sale April 7, 1789, for £4.4s. The binder,
possibly mistaking the date of the author's subscription (Vienna, 1444)
for that of the printing, has placed it on the back of the volume. Leaf
7-3/4 × 5-1/4 in.
20. PIUS II. (AENEAS SILVIUS PICCOLOMINI). De curialium miseria. [Paris,
Michael Friburger, Ulric Gering and Martin Crantz, 1472.]
_Fol. 1^a_: Aeneæ Siluii poætæ laureati (cui _et_ pro pontificali
dignitate Pio nomen est) in disputatione_m_ de curialiu_m_ miseria ad
perspicacissimu_m_ iurisconsultu_m_ Iohanne_m_ Ech, serenissimi
diuiq_ue_ principis, Alberti, cæsaris inuictissimi! Alberti quoque
austriæ ducies inclyti consiliariu_m_ atq_ue_ oratore_m_ præfacio
fœliciter incipit; _Fol. 34^a_: Vale uir (nisi ex curialibus unus
esses) meo iudicio prudens; COLOPHON: Aeneæ Siluii de curialiu_m_
miseria disputatio finem habet fœlicem; _Fol. 35, 36, blank._
Quarto. Quires [1-3^{10}, 4^6], 36 leaves, the last two blank, 23
lines to the page, roman letter, without signatures, catchwords,
pagination, place, printer's name or date. Two- and six-line spaces
left for capitals. Claudin XX. Pellechet 132. Hain 198.
First initial rubricated in the same style and by the same hand as in
the _De duobus amantibus_. Other capitals and paragraph-marks in red and
blue alternately. Initial-strokes in yellow. At the bottom of fol. 29^a
a line accidentally dropped by the compositor is supplied in manuscript
by a contemporary hand, viz., "non te uolunt. Quida_m_ uero pote_n_tes
sunt! ac ex." Both the recto and the verso of the leaf have the full
complement of 23 lines but there is a hiatus in the text. The copies in
the Bibliothèque Nationale, and the Bibliothèque Mazarine, Paris, have
the line supplied in manuscript in like manner, but instead of _uero_
read _non_, which does not suit the context.
According to Claudin this is the twentieth book printed at the Sorbonne
press. To the five copies known to him this adds a sixth.
Bound with No. 19. De duobus amantibus.
21. PLATO. Epistolae. [Paris, Michael Friburger, Ulric Gering and Martin
Crantz, 1472.]
_Fol. 1^a_: Ad prudentem _et_ magnificum uirum Cosma_m_ de medicis
florentinu_m_, Leonardi Aretini clarissimi oratoris, in ep_isto_las
plato_n_is quas ex græcis latinas fecit! p_rae_fatio; _Fol. 52^a_,
COLOPHON: FINIS.
Discite rectores diuinitus, ore platonis!
Quid uos, q_ui_d ciues reddat in urbe bonos;
Quarto. Quires [1-4^{10}, 5^8, 6^2, 7^2], 52 leaves, 23 lines to
the page, roman letter, without signatures, catchwords, pagination,
place, printer's name or date. Three- to five-line spaces left for
capitals. The first initial supplied in blue and red, other
capitals in blue and red alternately. Initial strokes in yellow.
Claudia XIV. Philippe VII. Crevenna 1523. Hain 13066.
Leonardo Bruni, often called Leonardo Aretini from his birthplace
Arezzo, translated five of the dialogues of Plato in addition to the
letters.
The first notice of this edition is found in the _Catalogue
Bolongaro-Crevenna_ (Amst., 1789), where it is described as containing
52 printed leaves. It appears from the price-list printed after the sale
in 1790 that it had not been sold, but was "retenu, faute de commissions
ou de concurrence," and was still obtainable at the price of 15 florins.
No trace of it has since been found and Panzer and Hain were able only
to copy the catalogue description. Philippe (1885) described Heynlin's
copy, which is preserved in the library of the University of Basel, as
consisting of one first blank leaf, forty-nine printed leaves and two
blank leaves at the end. Claudin (1898), with a second copy discovered
meantime in the Bibliothèque d'Angers at his command, finds one first
blank and forty-nine printed leaves, and remarks that the two blank
leaves placed by Philippe at the beginning [should be _end_] are only
independent fly-leaves. Our copy has fifty-two printed leaves and no
blanks and no occasion for them, since the printed leaves, of
themselves, form complete quires. Claudin's collation, which gives both
the quires and a register of the first words of each quire, shows that
both his copies lack the sixth quire of our copy, composed like the
seventh of only two leaves and beginning "_sibus interdixistis_." There
is moreover still unexplained and not easily explainable in the
descriptions of both the Basel and Angers copies the presence of a
troublesome first blank leaf and the absence of another leaf of text, in
addition to the lacking sixth quire. It follows that, at least until the
Crevenna copy, which appears to have been in agreement with ours, comes
to light again, this must remain the only complete copy known.
Bound with Nos. 19 and 20, from the same press.
22. MAGNI, JACOBUS [Jacques Le Grand]. Sophologium. Paris, Martin
Crantz, Ulric Gering and Michael Friburger, 1 June, 1477.
_Fol. 1, blank._ _Fol. 2^a_: Sequitur tabula capituloru_m_ Sophologij.
_Fol. 5^a_: Doctissimi atq_ue_ excellentissimi patris: sacraru_m_
litteraru_m_ doctoris deuotissimi: fratris Iacobi magni: religionis
fratru_m_ heremitaru_m_: sancti Augustini sophologiu_m_ incipit. Cuius
p_ri_ncipalis intentio est inducere legentis animu_m_ ad sapientie
amorem. _Fol. 218^a_: Jacobi Magni sophologium finit feliciter. _Fol.
218^b_: Epigramma ad huius operis conspectore_m_ [five distichs.]
COLOPHON: Anno do_mi_ni millesimo .cccc.lxxvij. die .i. mensis Iunij.
Impressum fuit istud sophologium parisius p_er_ Martinu_m_ crantz.
Vdalricu_m_ gering, et Michaele_m_ friburger.
Quarto. Sign. a-x^{10}, y^8, 218 leaves, the first blank, 32 lines
to the page, gothic lower-case type, roman capitals. Two- to
six-line spaces with guide-letters left for initials. Hain 10478.
Border ornamentation in color on fol. 5^a. Initials at the head of the
first four of the ten books in dull gold and color; those of the
remaining books in color only. Chapter initials and paragraph-marks in
alternate red and blue. Blank first leaf wanting. The bottom line of
fol. 116^b which had been accidentally moved across to the foot of fol.
115^a (the companion page on the imposing stone) is supplied in
manuscript where it was lacking and the misplaced line of print is
canceled.
On the discontinuance of the Sorbonne press in 1473, the printers,
Crantz, Gering, and Friburger, moved into the neighboring Rue
Saint-Jacques and set up a press, with new type, on their own account.
An edition of the Sophologium had been one of the last books printed at
the old press. A second edition was issued from the new press in 1475,
of which the present edition is, in type, number of pages and lines, an
exact reprint, but has printed signatures and is a quarto while that was
a folio. Caxton's "Book of Good Manners," printed in 1487, was a
translation of "Le livre des bonnes meurs," another work by the same
author.
The present copy, bound in green morocco with gold borders and gilt
edges, is from the Syston Park library, sold in December, 1884. Leaf
10-3/4 × 7-1/4 in.