when in tolerable condition, a wonderfully striking book: a masterpiece of
solid, laborious, and beautiful Greek printing. But the copy under
consideration--which is in its pristine boards, covered with black
leather--was LAMBECIUS'S OWN COPY, and has his autograph. It is, moreover,
one of the largest, fairest, and most genuine copies ever opened.
TACITUS. _Printed by I. de Spira._ Folio. Edit. Prin. This is the whitest
and soundest copy, of this not very uncommon book, which I have seen. It
has however lost something of its proper dimensions by the cropping of the
binder.
TERENTIUS. _Printed by Mentelin, without date._ Folio. Editio Princeps. Of
exceedingly great rarity. The present copy, which is in boards--but which
richly deserves a russia or morocco binding--is a very good, sound, and
desirable copy.
VALERIUS MAXIMUS. _Printed by Schoeffher._ 1472. Fol. UPON VELLUM; a
charming, sound copy. This book is not very uncommon upon vellum.
VIRGILIUS. _Printed by Mentelin._ _Without date._ Folio. Perhaps the rarest
of all the early Mentelin classics; and probably the second edition of the
author. The present is a beautiful, white, sound copy, and yet probably
somewhat cropt. It is in red morocco binding. Next to the very
extraordinary copy of this edition, in the possession of Mr. George
Hibbert, I should say that _this_ was the finest I had ever seen.
---- _Printed by V. de Spira._ 1470. Folio. It is difficult to find a
thoroughly beautiful copy of this very rare book. The present is tolerably
fair and rather large, but I suspect washed. The beginning is brown, and
the end very brown.
---- _Printed by the Same._ 1471. Folio. This copy is perhaps the most
beautiful in the world of the edition in question. It has the old ms.
signatures in the corner, which proves how important the preservation of
these _witnesses_ is to the confirmation of the size and genuineness of a
copy of an old book. No wonder the French got possession of this matchless
volume on their memorable visit to Vienna in 1805 or 1809. It was bound in
France, in red morocco, and is honestly bound. This is, in short, a perfect
book.
---- _Printed by Jenson._ 1475. Folio. A very fine, crackling copy, in the
old wooden binding; but the beginning and end are somewhat stained.
MISCELLANEOUS LATIN.[125]
ÆNEAS SYLVIUS DE DUOBUS AMANTIBUS. Without date. Quarto. This is the only
copy which I have seen, of probably what may be considered the FIRST
EDITION of this interesting work. It has twenty-three lines in a full page,
and is printed in the large and early roman type of _Gering_, _Crantz_, and
_Friburger_. Cæsar and Stoll doubtless reprinted this edition. In the
whole, there are forty-four leaves. The present is a fair sound copy.
ALEXANDER GALLUS: vulgò DE VILLA DEI: DOCTRINALE. _Without date._ Folio.
There are few books which I had so much wished to see as the present. The
bibliographers of the old school had a great notion of the typographical
antiquity of this _work_ if not of _this edition_ of it: but I have very
little hesitation, in the first place, of attributing it to the press of
_Vindelin de Spira_--and, in the second place, of assigning no higher
antiquity to it than that of the year 1471. It is however a book of some
intrinsic curiosity, and of unquestionably great rarity. I saw it here for
the first time. The present copy is a decidedly much-cropt folio; but in
most excellent condition.
AQUINAS THOMAS. SECUNDA SECONDÆ. _Printed by Schoeffher._ 1467. Folio. A
fine, large copy, printed UPON VELLUM: the vellum is rather too yellow; but
this is a magnificent book, and exceedingly rare in such a state. It is
bound in red morocco.
---- OPUS QUARTISCRIPTUM. _Printed by Schoeffher._ 1469. Folio. We have
here another magnificent specimen of the early Mentz press, struck off UPON
VELLUM, and executed in the smallest gothic type of the printer. This is a
gloriously genuine copy; having the old pieces of vellum pasted to the
edges of the leaves, by way of facilitating the references to the body of
the text. There is a duplicate copy of this edition, upon paper, wanting
some of the earlier leaves, and which had formerly belonged to Prince
Eugene. It is, in other respects, fair and desirable.
---- IN EVANG. MATTH. ET MARC. _Printed by Sweynheym and Pannartz._ 1470.
Folio. A fine, large, white, and crackling copy; but somewhat cut; and not
quite free from the usual foxy tint of the books executed by these earliest
Roman printers.
BARTHOLUS. LECTURA. _Printed by V. de Spira._.1471, Folio. One of the
finest specimens imaginable of the press of V. de Spira. It is a thick
folio, executed in double columns. The first page of this copy is elegantly
illuminated with portraits, &c.; but the arms at bottom prove that some
portion of the margin has been cut away--even of this magnificent copy. At
the end--just before the date, and the four colophonic verses of the
printer--we read: "_Finis primi ptis lecture dni Bartoli super ffto nouo_."
BELLOVACENSIS (P.) SPECULUM HISTORIALE, Folio. The four volumes in ONE!--of
eight inches in thickness, including the binding. The present copy of this
extraordinary performance of Peter de Beauvais is as pure and white as
possible. The type is a doubtful gothic letter: doubtful, as to the
assigning to it its proper printer.
CATHOLICON. 1460. Folio. 2 vols. A tolerably fair good copy; in red morocco
binding.
---- 1469. _Printed by Gunther Zeiner._ 2 vols. Folio. This copy is UPON
VELLUM, of a fair and sound quality. I suspect that it has been somewhat
diminished in size, and may not be larger than the similar copy at Göttwic
Monastery. In calf binding.
DURANDUS. RAT. DIV. OFFIC. _Printed by Fust and Schoeffher._ 1459. Folio.
This book, which is always UPON VELLUM, was the Duke de La Valliere's copy.
It is the thinnest I ever saw, but it is quite perfect. The condition is
throughout sound, and the margins appear to retain all their pristine
amplitude. It is bound in morocco.
FICHETI RHETORICA. _Printed by Gering_, &c. Quarto. This copy is UPON
VELLUM, not indifferently illuminated: but it has been cruelly cropt.
LUDOLPHUS. DE TERRA SANCTA and ITINERE IHEROSO-LOMITANO. _Without date or
place._ Folio. I never saw this book, nor this work, before. The text
describes a journey to Jerusalem, undertaken by Ludolphus, between the
years 1336 and 1350. This preface is very interesting; but I have neither
time nor space for extracts. At the end: "_Finit feliciter libellus de
itinere ad terram sanctam, &_." This impression is printed in long lines,
and contains thirty-six leaves.[126]
MAMMOTRECTUS. _Printed by Schoeffher._ 1470. Folio. Here are two copies; of
which one is UPON VELLUM--but the paper copy is not only a larger, but in
every respect a fairer and more desirable, book. The vellum copy has quite
a foggy aspect.
NONIUS MARCELLUS. _Without name of printer or place._ 1471. Folio. This is
the first edition of the work with a date, but the printer is unknown. It
is executed in a superior style of typographical elegance; and the present
is as fine and white a copy of it as can possibly be possessed. I think it
even larger than the Göttwic copy.
PETRARCHA. HISTORIA GRISELDIS. _Printed by G. Zeiner._ 1473. Folio. Whether
_this_ edition of the HISTORY OF PATIENT GRISEL, or that printed by Zel,
without date, be the earliest, I cannot pretend to say. This edition is
printed in the roman type, and perhaps is among the very earliest specimens
of the printer so executed. It is however a thin, round, and scraggy type.
The book is doubtless of extreme rarity. This copy was formerly Prince
Eugene's, and is bound in red morocco.
PHALARIDIS EPISTOLÆ. Lat. 1471. Quarto. This is the first time (if I
remember rightly) that the present edition has come under my notice. It is
doubtless of excessive rarity. The type is a remarkably delicate, round,
widely spread and roman letter. At the end is the colophon, in capital
letters.
PHALARIDIS EPISTOLÆ. _Printed by Ulric Han._ _Without date._ Folio. This is
among the rarest editions of the Latin version of the Epistles of Phalaris.
It is executed in the second, or ordinary roman type of Ulric Han. In the
whole there are thirty leaves; and I know not why this impression may not
be considered as the first, or at least the second, of the version in
question.
POGGII FACETIÆ. _Without name of Printer, Place, or Date._ Folio. It is for
the first time that I examine the present edition, which I should not
hesitate to pronounce the FIRST of the work in question. The types are
those which were used in the _Eusebian Monastery_ at Rome. A full page has
twenty-three lines. This is a sound, clean copy; in calf binding.
PRISCIANUS. _Printed by V. de Spira._ 1470. Folio. Editio princeps. A
beautiful, large, white, and crackling copy, in the original wooden
binding. Is one word further necessary to say that a finer copy, upon
paper, cannot exist?
PRISCIANUS. _Printed by Ulric Han._ Folio. With the metrical version of
_Dionysius de Situ Orbis_ at the end. This is a very rare book. The fount
of Greek letters clearly denotes it to come from a press at Rome, and that
press was assuredly Ulric Han's. This appears to have been Gaignat's copy,
and is sound and desirable, but not so fine as the copy of this edition in
the library of Göttwic Monastery.
PTOLEMÆUS. Lat. _Printed at Bologna._ 1462. Folio. There can be no doubt of
this date being falsely put for 1472 or even 1482. But this is a rare book
to possess, with all the copper plates, which this copy has--and it is
moreover a fine copy.
PTOLEMÆUS. _Printed by Buckinck._ 1478. Folio. Another fine and perfect
copy of a volume of considerable rarity, and interest to the curious in the
history of early engraving.
TURRECREMATA I. de. MEDITATIONES. _Printed by Ulric Han._ 1467. Folio. This
wonderfully rare volume is justly shewn among the "great guns" of the
Imperial Library. It was deposited here by the late Mr. Edwards; and is
considered by some to be the _first book printed at Rome_, and is filled
with strange wood-cuts.[127] The text is uniformly in the large gothic
character of Ulric Han. The French were too sensible of the rarity and
value of this precious book, to suffer it to remain upon the shelves of the
Imperial library after their first triumphant visit to Vienna; and
accordingly it was carried off, among other book trophies, to Paris--from
whence it seems, naturally as it were, to have taken up its present
position. This is a very fine copy; bound in blue morocco, with the cuts
uncoloured. It measures thirteen inches and a quarter, by very nearly nine
and a quarter: being, what may be fairly called, almost its pristine
dimensions. Whenever you visit this library, ask to see, among the very
first books deserving of minute inspection, this copy of the Meditations of
John de Turrecremata: but, remember--_a yet finer_ copy is within three
stones-throw of Buckingham Palace!
VALTURIUS DE RE MILITARI. 1472. Folio. Edit. Prin. A fine, clean copy; in
red morocco binding. Formerly, in the collection of Prince Eugene. Such a
hero, however, should have possessed it UPON VELLUM!--although, of the two
copies of this kind which I have seen, neither gave me the notion of a very
fine book.
BOOKS IN THE ITALIAN LANGUAGE.
_Bella (La) Mono._ _Without name of Printer._ 1474. Quarto. This is the
first time of my inspecting the present volume; of which the printer is not
known--but, in all probability, the book was printed _at Venice_. It is
executed in a round, tall, roman letter. This is a cropt and soiled, but
upon the whole, a desirable copy: it is bound in red morocco, and was
formerly Prince Eugene's.
_Berlinghieri._ _Geografia._ _Without Place or Date._ Folio. Prima
Edizione. It does the heart good to gaze upon such a copy of so estimable
and magnificent a production as the present. This book belonged to Prince
Eugene, and is bound in red morocco. It is quite perfect--with all the
copper-plate maps.
_Boccaccio._ _Il Decamerone._ _Printed by Zarotus._ 1476. Folio. This is an
exceedingly rare edition of the Decameron. It is executed in the small and
elegantly formed gothic type of the printer, with which the Latin Æsop, of
the same date, in 4to, was printed. Notwithstanding this copy is of a very
brown hue, and most cruelly cut down--as the illuminated first page but too
decisively proves--it is yet a sound and desirable book.
This is the only early edition, as far as I had an opportutunity of
ascertaining, which they appear to possess of the Decameron of Boccaccio.
Of the _Philocolo_, there is a folio edition of 1488; and of the _Nimphale_
there is a sound and clean copy of a dateless edition, in 4to., without
name of place or printer, which ends thus--and which possibly may be among
the very earliest impressions of that work:
Finito il nimphale di fiesole
che tracto damore.
_Caterina da Bologna._ _Without Date or name of Printer._ Quarto. This is a
very small quarto volume of great rarity; concluding with some poetry, and
some particulars of the Life of the female Saint and author. It appears to
have wholly escaped Brunet.
Incomezao alcune cose d'la uita d'la sopra
nominata beata Caterina.
There are neither manuals, signatures, nor catchwords. This volume looks
like a production of the _Bologna_ or _Mantua_ press. I never saw another
copy of this curious little work.
_Caterina da Siena Legendi di._ _Printed in the Monastery of St. James, at
Florence._ 1477. Quarto. This is the edition which Brunet very properly
pronounces to be "excessively rare." It is printed in double columns, in a
small, close, and scratchy gothic type. On the 158th and last leaf, is the
colophon.
_Dante._ _Printed by Neumister._ 1472. Folio. PRIMA EDIZIONE. This copy is
ruled, but short, and in a somewhat tender condition. Although not a first
rate copy, it is nevertheless desirable; yet is this book but a secondary
typographical performance. The paper is always coarse in texture, and
sombre in tint.
_Dante_. 1481. Folio. With the commentary of Landino. This is doubtless a
precious copy, inasmuch as it contains TWENTY COPPER-PLATE IMPRESSIONS, and
is withal in fair and sound condition. The fore-edge margin has been
however somewhat deprived of its original dimensions.
_Decor Puellarum. Printed by Jenson_. Quarto. With the false date of 1461
for 1471. This volume, which once gave rise to such elaborate
bibliographical disquisition, now ceases to have any extraordinary claims
upon the attention of the collector. It is nevertheless a _sine qua non_ in
a library with any pretension to early typographical curiosities. The
present copy is clean and tolerably large: bound by De Rome.
_Fazio. Dita Mundi. Printed by L. Basiliensis_. 1474. Folio. Prima
Edizione. Of unquestionably great rarity; and unknown to the earlier
bibliographers. It is printed in double columns, with signatures, to _o_ in
eighths: _o_ has only four leaves. This copy has the signatures
considerably below the text, and they seem to have been a clumsy and
_posterior_ piece of workmanship. It has been recently bound in russia.
_Frezzi. Il Quadriregio_. 1481. Folio. Prima Edizione. I have before
sufficiently expatiated upon the rarity of this impression. The present is
a large copy, but too much beaten in the binding. The first leaf is much
stained. A few of the others are also not free from the same defect.
_Fulgosii Bapt. Anteros.: sive de Amore. Printed by L. Pachel. Milan_.
1496. On the reverse of the title, is a very singular wood-cut--where Death
is sitting upon a coffin, and a blinded Cupid stands leaning against a tree
before him: with a variety of other allegorical figures. The present is a
beautiful copy, in red morocco binding.
_Gloria Mulierum. Printed by Jenson_. Quarto. This is another of the early
Jenson pieces which are coveted by the curious and of which a sufficiently
particular account has been already given to the public[128] This copy is
taller than that of the _Decor Puellarum_ (before described) but it is in
too tender a condition.
_Legende Di Sancti per Nicolao di Manerbi, Printed by Jenson. Without
date_. Folio. It is just possible that you may not have forgotten a brief
mention of a copy of this very rare book in the Mazarine Library at
Paris,[129] That copy, although beautiful, was upon paper: the present is
UPON VELLUM--illuminated, very delicately in the margins, with figures of
divers Saints. I take the work to be an Italian version of the well known
LEGENDA SANCTORUM. The book is doubtless among the most beautiful from the
press of JENSON, who is noticed in the prefatory advertisement of Manerbi.
_Luctus Christianorum. Printed by Jenson_. Quarto. Another of the early
pieces of Jenson's press; and probably of the date of 1471. The present is
a fair, nice copy; but has something of a foggy and suspicious aspect about
it. I suspect it to have been washed.
_Monte Sancto di Dio_. 1477. Folio. The chief value of this book consists
in its having good impressions of the THREE COPPER PLATES. Of these, only
_one_ is in the present copy, which represents the Devil eating his victims
in the lake of Avernus, as given in the La Valliere copy. Yet the absence
of the two remaining plates, as it happens, constitutes the chief
attraction of this copy; for they are here supplied by two FAC-SIMILES,
presented to the Library by Leopold Duke of Tuscany, of the most
wonderfully perfect execution I ever saw.
_Petrarcha. Sonetti e Trionfi. Printed by V. de Spira._ 1470. Folio. Prima
Edizione. The last leaf of the table is unluckily manuscript; and the last
leaf but one of the text is smaller than the rest--which appear to have
been obtained, from another copy. In other respects, this is a large,
sound, and desirable copy. It belonged to Prince Eugene.
_Petrarcha. Sonetti e Trionfi. Printed by Zarotus._ 1473. Folio. This
edition (if the present copy of it be perfect) has no prefix of table or
biographical memorandum of Petrarch. A full page contains forty, and
sometimes forty-two lines. On the recto of the last leaf is the colophon.
This is a sound and clean, but apparently cropt copy; in old blue morocco
binding.
_Petrarcha Sonetti e Trionfi. Printed by Jenson._ 1473. Folio. A sound and
desirable copy, in red morocco binding; formerly belonging to Prince
Eugene.
----. _Comment. Borstii in Trionfi. Printed at Bologna._ 1475. Folio. Here
are two copies of this beautifully printed, and by no means common, book.
One of them belonged to Prince Eugene; and a glance upon the top corner ms.
pagination evidently proves it to have been cropt. It is in red morocco
binding. The other copy, bound in blue morocco, has the table inlaid; and
is desirable--although inferior to the preceding.
_Poggio. Historia Fiorentina. Printed by I. de Rossi._ (Jacobus Rubeus)
1476. Folio. First edition of the Italian version. This copy is really a
great curiosity., The first seven books are printed _upon paper_ of a fine
tone and texture, and the leaves are absolutely _uncut_: a few leaves at
the beginning are soiled--especially the first; but the remainder are in
delightful preservation, and shew what an old book _ought_ to be. The
eighth book is entirely printed UPON VELLUM; and some of these vellum
leaves are perfectly enchanting. They are of the same size with the paper,
and _also uncut._ This volume has never been bound. I entreated M. Bartsch
to have it handsomely bound, but not to touch the fore edges. He consented
readily.
_Regula Confitendi Peccata Sua._ 1473. Quarto. Of this book I never saw
another copy. The author is PICENUS, and the work is written throughout in
the Italian language. There are but seven leaves--executed in a letter
which resembles the typographical productions of Bologna and Mantua.
* * * * *
GERMAN, FRENCH, AND SPANISH BOOKS.
_Bone Vie (Livre De);_ qui est appelee Madenie. _Printed by A. Neyret at
Chambery._ 1485. Folio. As far as signature 1 vj, the subject is prose:
afterwards commences the poetry--"appelle la somme de la vision Iehan du
pin." The colophon is on the reverse of the last leaf but one. A wood-cut
is on the last leaf. This small folio volume is printed in a tall, close,
and inelegant gothic type; reminding me much of the LIVRE DE CHASSE printed
at the same place, in 1486, and now in Lord Spencer's library.[130]
_Chevalier (Le) Delibre._ 1488. Quarto. This book is filled with some very
neat wood cuts, and is printed in the gothic letter. The subject matter is
poetical. No name appears, but I suspect this edition to have been, printed
in the office of Verard.
_Cité des Dames (Le Tresor de la)_--"sclon dame christine." Without Date.
Folio. A fine, tall, clean copy; UPON VELLUM. The printer seems in all
probability to have been _Verard_. In red morocco binding.
_Coronica del Cid ruy Diaz._ _Printed at Seville._ _Without Date._ Quarto.
The preceding title is beneath a neat wood-cut of a man on horseback,
brandishing his sword; an old man, coming out of a gate, is beside him. The
signatures from _a_ to _i vj_, are in eights. On _f ij_ is a singular
wood-cut of a lion entering a room, where a man is apparently sleeping over
a chess-board, while two men are rising from the table: this cut is rudely
executed. On _i v_ is the colophon. This edition is executed in that
peculiarly rich and handsome style of printing, in a bold gothic letter,
which distinguishes the early annals of the Spanish press. The present
beautifully clean copy belonged to PRINCE EUGENE; but it has been severely
cropt.
_Ein nuizlich büchlin_ das man nennet den Pilgrim das hat der würdig doctor
keyserperg zü Augspurg geprediget. Such is the title of this singular
tract, printed by _Lucas Zeisenmair_ at Augsbourg in 1498. Small 4to. It
has many clever and curious wood-cuts; and I do not remember, in any part
of Germany where I have travelled, to have seen another copy of it.
_Fierbras._ _Printed by G. Le Roy._ 1486. Folio. This is a small folio, and
the third edition of the work. This copy is quite perfect; containing the
last leaf, on which is a large wood-cut. All the cuts here are coloured
after the fashion of the old times. This sound and desirable copy, in red
morocco binding, once graced the library of PRINCE EUGENE.
_Iosephe._ _Printed by Verard._ 1492. Folio. "_Cy finist l'hystoire de
Josephus de la bataille Judaique, &c_." This is a noble folio volume;
printed in the large handsome type of Verard, abounding with wood cuts. It
is in red morocco binding.
_Jouvencel (Le)._ _Printed by Verard_, 1497. Folio. This is a fine copy,
with coloured cuts, printed UPON VELLUM. It is badly bound.
_Lancelot du Lac._ _Printed by Verard._ 1488. Folio. 2 vols. First Edition.
A fine clean copy, but somewhat cropt. It once belonged to PRINCE EUGENE,
and is bound in red morocco.
---- _Printed by the Same._ 1496. Folio. 3 vols. UPON VELLUM. In fine old
red morocco binding, beautifully tooled. This copy measures fifteen inches
six-eighths in height, by ten inches five-eighths in width.
_Les Deux Amans._ _Printed by Verard._ 1493. Quarto. The title is beneath
the large L, of which a fac-simile appears in the first vol. of my edition
of our _Typographical Antiquities_. The work is old French poetry. Verard's
device is on the last leaf. A copy of this book is, in all probability, in
a certain black-letter French-metrical cabinet in Portland Place.
_Maguelone (La Belle)._ _Printed by Trepperel._ 1492. Quarto. The preceding
title is over Trepperel's device. The wood cuts in this edition have rather
unusual merit; especially that on the reverse of Ciiii. A very desirable
copy.
_Marco Polo. Von Venedig des Grost Landtfarer. Germanicè._ _Printed by
Creusner._ 1477. Folio. This is the FIRST EDITION of the Travels of MARCO
POLO; and I am not sure whether the present copy be not considered
unique.[131] A complete paginary and even lineal transcript of it was
obtained for Mr. Marsden's forth-coming translation of the work, into our
own language--under the superintendence of M. Kopitar. Its value,
therefore, may be appreciated accordingly.
_Regnars (Les)_ "trauersant les perilleuses voyes des folles frances du
möde." _Printed by Verard._ _No Date._ 4to. This is a French metrical
version from the German of Sebastian Brandt. The present edition is printed
in the black letter, double columns, with wood cuts. This is a fair good
copy, bound in red morocco, and formerly belonging to Prince Eugene.