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15th & 16th Centuries
First Edition of St. Thomas More's Poems Owned by Flemish Humanist
ST. THOMAS MORE [CORNELIUS DE SCHEPPER'S (c. 1503-1555) COPY]. Epigrammata clarissimi dissertissimique viri Thomae Mori Britanni ad emendatum exemplar ipsius autoris excusa. Basel: Froben: 1520. The third edition, but the first that was published separately, of St. Thomas More's Epigrams. This 1520 edition is the definitive edition, and include the author's corrections. Froben, who first published the epigrams in 1518 in an edition that included More's Utopia, worked from More's manuscript that was delivered to him by Erasmus; unfortunately, in the process of transferring the writing to print many errors cropped up which certainly frustrated More. Because of the popularity of the first 1518 edition, a second edition was quickly printed later that year, using a different title-border engraving, but including the same errors. It was this second printing that made its way to More. More, using the printed text, made extensive corrections and annotations, and sent the work back to Froben for use in the edition that is being offered here. This 1520 edition was entirely reset and uses the title-page engraving from the first printing (done by Hans Holbein). Aside from the much improved text, this 1520 edition includes more poems than the 1518 edition, including several at the end of a highly personal nature; there is a beautiful and long poem More must have written between the two editions addressed to his four children, describing his intense fatherly love them; there is also a poem addressed to More's first love, Elizabeth, who he met when he was just 16 years old. One poem from the 1518 edition which dealt with England's then enemies, Scotland and France, was suppressed in the 1520 edition, evidently due to political reasons. The epigrams have been categorized by experts as falling into several categories (see Bradner & Lynch): 23 on kings and government; 20 on the faults and foibles of women; 11 on astrologers; 8 on animals; and 5 on physicians. "Only a half-dozen are complimentary, and there are no poems of conventional piety. Although erotic poems are lacking, there is a fair amount of sexual humor of the fabliau type." The epigrams are preceded by a poetic contest between More and William Lily (1468-1522), English grammarian and scholar - a close friend of More's, and the first to teach Greek in London. This 'Progymnasmata', as the section is called, includes a verse printed in Greek, and then two competing translations of the verse into Latin by More and Lily, each vying for the better translation. The epigrams themselves are a mix of original Latin poems by More and numerous translations by More of Greek verses into Latin (taken from the Byzantine source known as the Planudean Anthology). This edition has a very distinguished provenance, having once belonged to the Flemish humanist, ambassador, and sometime spy, Cornelius de Schepper of Nieuwpoort (c. 1503-1555), and bears him autograph on the title-page. Schepper, although quite politically active, found time to befriend such eminent humanists as Erasmus, Vives, and Melancthon, and even visited England in 1524, being received by Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey. It is quite possible that he met More during this time, and perhaps even acquired this book while in England. The year prior, de Schepper traveled to Wittenberg, and there met Martin Luther. In 1531 and 1532 de Schepper engaged in debate against Lutheranism as Charles V's envoy in Switzerland, Germany, Bohemia, and Poland. In 1533 de Schepper traveled to Constantinople on a peace mission where he met Suleiman. This book of epigrams, part of de Schepper's personal library, shows the humanistic and leisurely side of this very active 16th century political man. Small 4to (15.5 x 20.7cm), 116pp. Staining to first sixteen pages, then mostly clean leaves with occasional small marks, and one leaf with a small 1cm hole without loss of text. Wide margins. Bound in a modern marbled board binding, new endpapers. Attractive colophon. A couple small book-plates on front endpapers. ( Adams M-1753; Gibson 57; VD-16 M-6296]$15,000.00
RARE INCUNABULA EDITED BY FRENCH HUMANIST JACQUES D'ETAPLES
PSEUDO-DIONYSIUS [EDITED BY: JACQUES LEFEVRE D'ETAPLES (1450-1536). Theologia vivificans. Cibus solidus. Dionysii Celestis hierarchia. Ecclesiastica hierarchia. Divina nomina. Mystica theologia. Undecim epistole. Ignatii. Undecim epistole. Polycarpi Epistola una. Paris: Johannes Higman and Wolfgang Hopyl, 1498.
Important and rare edition of the collected works of 6th century Syrian mystic and theologian, Pseudo-Dionysius, produced here in a critical edition by French humanist and scholar Jacques Lefevre d'Etaples. Pseudo-Dionysius' influence on medieval theology was vast, and he is the second most quoted theological authority by St. Thomas Aquinas after St. Augustine. Although originally thought to have been the 1st century Athenian convert of that name in the letters of St. Paul, scholars now agree that he was likely a monk in the Syrian region who lived around the 6th century. His works include the Divine Names, the Celestial Hierarchy, and the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy. D'Etaples was tasked with creating this critical edition by using the best manuscripts while he was teaching philosophy at the college of Cardinal Lemoine. The result is a beautifully printed work, with sixteen wood-cut diagrams in text, including an astronomical figure on leaf 87, and a very attractive title-page depicting two eagles. The Latin translation used is that of early 15th century Italian Ambrogio Traversari, although d'Etaples substitutes Traversari's brief notes with his own extensive commentary. Joined to Pseudo-Dionysius' works is also a letter by St. Ignatius of Antioch and one by St. Polycarp. Rubricated initials throughout. Title-page and first eight leaves damaged at lower margin with tape repairs and slight loss of some lettering; likewise the register leaf is damaged at the end with some loss of text. Water-staining is intermittent throughout with some instances of mold staining to bottom margin of first twenty-five leaves. The ink from rubrication occasionally bleeds as a result of this water-staining. Bound in new limp vellum with ties. Lacking last blank, but otherwise complete. 4to (28 x 22cm), [iv], 117 leaves. [Hain-Copinger, 6233 - Goff, D-240 - Pr., 8140 - BMC, VIII, 140 - GW, 8409 - Pellechet, 4297 - Polain, 1302 - Pettegree, 65111 - Brunet, II, 724 - Graesse, II, 399 - Dionysiaca, p. xxiii, n ° 6 - Charles-Henri Graf, Essay on the life and the writings of Jacques Lefèvre d'Étaples, Strasbourg, 1842, pp. 18-19 - Eugene R. Rice, The Prefatory Epistles of Jacques Lefevre of Etaples and related texts, New York, 1972, pp. 65-66 and pp. 549-550, nr. CLV.]$6,500.00
IMPORTANT CRIMINAL LAW BOOK WITH 73 WOODCUTS OF CRIMES & PUNISHMENTS
DAMHOUDER, JOSSE DE (1507-1581). Praxis rerum criminalium, praetoribus, propraetoribus, consulibus... Antwerp: Ioannem Bellerum, 1570. Important 16th century handbook on criminal law, replete with 73 large engraved wood-cuts depicting various kinds of crime such as murder, rape, theft, kidnapping, witchcraft, swindling, etc. as well as various tortures and punishments. "A work of inestimable value for the history of criminal justice and social status in the Netherlands during the 16th century." 4to (23 x 17cm), [32], 508 (i.e. 512), [64]pp. Staining to upper corners of about half of leaves. Bound in contemporary vellum. [Adams D-16. Dekkers 44:4.]
$3,500.00
ASTROLOGICAL MEDICINE PUBLISHED IN NURNBERG IN 1530
MANFREDIS, HIERONYMUS DE (d.c. 1493). De medicis et infirmis collectanae in ordinem centiloquii congesta. Insuper in vigintiocto mansiones Lunae, deq(ue) impedimentis eiusdem generalibus, Ioannis Schoneri. Nurnberg: Georgii Vuachter, 1530. First edition of this collection of medical aphorisms by Jeronimo de Manfredi (died 1493), the author of the "De Homine" which was first published in 1474. These aphorisms on medical practice, here edited for the first time by the great astronomer and cosmographer Johann Schöner, seem to have been chosen by him for their astrological interest, and Schoner has added a few pages of his own observations on the moon. Thorndike adds that though Schoner lacked a medical degree, he was busy at this time publishing medical works for the German public that were highly influenced by astrological based medicine. 8vo (15 x 10.5cm), 23 leaves + blank. Title-page shaved at edge with slight loss of wood-cut border, some instances of staining throughout. Bound in modern boards. Rare. [VD 16, M 565; Zinner 4010; Durling 2924; Wellcome I, 4010; Hirsch-H. IV, 55; Waller 6211; not in Adams.]
$1,000.00
ON A MAGNIFICENT MASKED PARADE IN RENAISSANCE FLORENCE
[ATTRIBUTED TO DOMENICO MELLINI] Le dieci mascherate delle bufole mandate in Firenze il giorno di Carnovale l'anno 1565. Con la descrizzione di tutta la pompa delle Maschere, e loro invenzion. Firenze: Appresso i Giunti, 1566.
A scarce work describing the elaborate festival in Florence during Carnevale. Christie's aptly described this work in the Feltrinelli sale of 1998 stating: "The Carnival at Florence in 1565 was particularly noteworthy for having ten masked groups, each led in the parade by a bufala, a female buffalo, also in costume. The author describes the participants and their fancy dress: Zanobi Carnesecchi was dressed as Wickedness hunted by his party of Flagellators, Capponi was Osiris accompanied by his Egyptian retinue, and the guild of Genovese merchants staged a baccanale. The Marquise of Castiglione, Don Luigi da Toledo, Cardinal Medici and Prince Francesco himself were also among the participants. The Carnival parade ended with a magnificent show of famous mythic and classical heroes: Caesar and Pompeo, Alexander and Cirus, Hector and Achilles, in honour of Grand Duke Cosimo and his heir Francesco. Afterwards a race with the bufalas was held, and the fireworks, music and dancing did not end before 3.00 the next morning." Small 8vo (14.6 x 8.8cm), 56 pp. [i.e. 48]. Medici coat of arms on title-page. Some foxing and toning throughout. Bound in 19th century vellum over boards with, new endpapers inserted and original endpapers preserved. [Bertela and Tofani Feste e apparati Medicei, p.198.; Camerini, 377; Moreni, 1877]
Price: $2,000.00
HESIOD - WORKS & DAYS, THEOGONY, ETC. IN GREEK TEXT 1543
HESIOD (active circa 700 B.C.) Opera et dies, et Theogonia, et Clypeus. Sibyllæ Carmina de Christo quorum mentionem facit Eusebius & Augustinus. Musæi opusculum de Herone & Leandro. Orphei Argonautica, Hymni & de lapidibus. Phocylidis Parænesis. Venice: Ex officina Farrea, 1543. The poem Works and Days by the first Greek poet, Hesiod, in the original Greek and printed by the House of Farreus. This edition follows the Giunta edition of 1540 and uses the Greek type of Bartolomeo Zanetti. This collection also includes the Theogony of Hesiod as well as a selection from other minor Greek poets. Small 8vo (16 x 11cm), [288] p. Printer's device on title-page and colophon. Bound in contemporary vellum, a few small chips to spine, light contemporary ink inscription to rear cover and front endpaper. A nice, clean interior. [Brunet III, 140]
$1,250.00
HISTORY OF GENOA - REFERENCE TO COLUMBUS - 1537
GIUSTINIANI, AGOSTINO (1470-1536). Castigatissimi annali con la loro copiosa tavola della Eccelsa & Illustrissima Republi. di Genoa, da fideli & approvati Scrittori, per Reverendo Monsignore Agostino Giustiniano.. Genoa: Per Antonio Bellono Taurinense, 1537. A rare and famous work on the Italian Republic and maritime city-state of the Genoa, birthplace of Christopher Columbus. "The only edition listed in Graesse, Brunet, and Sabin. Folio 249 is devoted to a biography of Columbus, in which he states, among other things 'Christophoro di proprio nome chiamato su di parenti plebei, come che il padre fussi testore di pane di lana & lui fussi textore di veta, etc.' These facts about the humble origin and youth of Columbus were not liked by the brand-new aristocrat, the son of Columbus, who in his book on the life of his father emphatically contradicts 'the twelve lies' of Giustiniano. Ferdinand Columbus tells us also 'that, considering the many mistakes and falsehoods found in his Annals of Genoa and his Psalter (Giustiniano's Polyglott Psalter of 1516), the Senate of Genoa has laid a penalty upon any person that shall read or keep them; and has caused them to be carefully sought out in all places they have been sent to, that they may by public decree be utterly destroyed and utterly extinguished'." (Parke Bernet). Title-page printed in red and black; attractive wood-cut of St. George and the Dragon on verso of title-page. Large 8vo (29.5 x 21cm), [14], 282 leaves. A bit of browning to a few leaves, otherwise clean fresh copy. Bound in 19th century quarter calf over boards, fore-edge yellow. [Adams G-751; Sabin 27518; Sander 3191.]
$1,500.00
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS - SUMMA CONTRA GENTILES - PUBLISHED IN VENICE 1501
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS. Aurea Divi Thome aquinatis de ordine predicatorum doctoris Angelici Summa contra gentiles. Venice: S. [Bevilaqua] for A. Calcedonius, November 7, 1501. Rare post-incunable of Aquinas' work 'Summa Contra Gentiles', perhaps the best known of his theological treatises after the Summa Theologica. Originally written as a kind of handbook to be used in Muslim mission territories, the work has been often cited throughout the centuries for its keen and clear theological insights. This early publication from the press in Venice is quite handsome, with a large wood-cut of the archangel Gabriel adorning the title-page. Large 8vo (21.5 x 15cm), [xii] + CCXLIII leaves (some misnumbered, but complete). Woodcut initials throughout, wide margins. Bound in vellum. [GW M46564. - Edit 16, CNCE 33852. - Sander 7298 (erroneously 1500). - Not in the BM STC and Adams.]
$5,000.00
EARLY EDITION OF MOST POPULAR ARITHMETIC BOOK OF 16TH CENTURY - MATHEMATICS 1551
GEMMA REINERUS, FRISIUS (1508-1555) [BOUND WITH: FINE, ORONCE (1494-1555)]. Arithmeticae practicae methodus facilis... [BOUND WITH: Arithmetica practica, in compendiu[m]]. Paris: Cavellat, 1551. Early edition of the most popular arithmetic book of the 16th century, authored by Louvain professor Gemma Frisius. The text "combined the older science of numbers with the commercial arithmetic of the Italian writers" (Smith). The first edition was published in Antwerp in 1540. Diagrams, equations, and tables in text. 96 ll. Bound with an incomplete copy of 'Arithmetica practica' (Paris: Simon de Colines, 1544) by Oronce Fine. This work was previously published as a part of the author's Protomathesis (Paris: 1532). The text includes in its entirely the first three books of Fine's work and part of the fourth book. The subjects covered in each book are, respectively: integrals, common fractions, astronomical fractions, and proportions. 82 of 95 leaves. 8vo (17 x 11cm). Bound in later gilt stamped calf, a few stains to covers, joints rubbed, a bit cocked. Fine antique writing on endpaper, interior is very clean and fresh.
$1,000.00
VERY RARE BOOK OF STATUTES FROM LITTLE ITALIAN TOWN IN THE 16TH CENTURY
[ITALIAN STATUTES] Statuta communitatis S. Columbani et sue iurisdictionis. Lodi: Apud Vincentium Taietum, 1586. An extraordinarily rare book printed in the Lombard town of Lodi regarding the statutes and governance of the little munciplaity of San Colombano al Lambro near Milan. The Duke of Milan held an estate in this district, and the statutes were initially issued by his order in 1432. They were later adopted by the municipal authorities of Pavia, for the control of the sale of bread, wine, meat and fish. There were very severe penalities enacted for publicans guilty of giving short measure or adding water to wine. A printing press was first established in Lodi in 1583 by Francesco Bonati; in 1584 he was replaced by Vincenzo Taieti, who published the work offered here. The beautiful wood-cut on the title-page is of the Celtic Saint, St. Columba, who travelled to the region in the early Middle Ages and for whom the municipality is named after. I have been able to locate only one copy outside of Italy. Folio (28.6 x 20cm), [6], 35 [i.e.41], [1] leaves. Stain and repair to upper corner of title-page, a few light spots in text. Bound in modern limp vellum with ties, housed in clam-shell box. [BBII, 624; BG 1137]
$7,500.00
VERY RARE PAPAL LETTERS ON THE PHILIPPINES & JAPAN - 1599 - ON RELICS
POPE CLEMENT VIII (1536-1605). Pro altare privilegiato... Rome: Apud Impressores Camerales, 1599.
Very rare four page printing of three letters issued by Pope Clement VIII concerning the Philippines and the Kingdom of Japan. Written while Clement VIII was residing in Ferrara in 1598, these letters are written most likely in response to Franciscan priest Francisco de Montilla's brief visit to Italy following his missionary activity to the Philippines and the Far East. Indeed, the last two letters mention Montilla by name. Montilla, a native of Spain, traveled to Mexico in 1580, and from there to the Far East. He is the author of a work entitled: Historia de la propagacion de la fe, en Filipinas, Japon, China, Cochinchina y Siam (November 22, 1602). He was in Italy in 1595-96 on business for the general chapter, and it is probably during this period that he obtained an audience with the Pope and asked for assistance with the missions in the East. Clement issued these three decrees in response to the news that Montilla and his companions brought. The first letter is an indulgence granted to all who are willing to financially assist the Hospital San Juan de Dios in Manila, founded in 1596, making it the third oldest hospital on the islands. The second letter grants permission to Montilla to remove relics from the city of Rome and its environs and transport them to the Philippines and Japan in order to "augment the devotion" of the faithful. The third letter is similar in nature, granting an indulgence to all who financially contribute to ensuring that the relics are worthily housed in a chapel. I could locate only two copies of this pamphlet in worldwide libraries - one in Rome and the other at the National Library of Scotland. This small quarto measures 24 x 17cm and has the signatures A, B, and C labeled at the bottom of the first three pages. Pages also numbered. Wood-cut initials begin each letter.
$2,000.00
St. Paul, MN 55117
ph: 612-707-4804
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