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

PLATINA, BARTOLOMEO (1421-1481). Hystoria de Vitis pontificum periucunda: diligenter recognita: & nunc tantum integre impressa [WITH: Dialogus de falso et vero bono, et al.]. Venice: Philippo Pincio Mantuano, 1504. 

Platina's classic work on the History of the Popes beautifully printed and with a large wood-cut on title-page. Numerous wood-cut initials. This edition is also the first to include Platina's other short works, rarely found in print,  such as: 'Dialogus de falso & vero bono'; 'Dialogus contra amores'; 'De vera nobilitate'; 'De optimo cive'; and 'Panegyricus in lauden amplissimi patris Bessarionis' - this last work a panegyric for Cardinal Bessarion, the famous Greek humanist who participated in the Council of Florence and joined the Catholic Church, becoming both an influential Cardinal and important man of letters. The History of the Popes includes a reference to the legend of Pope Joan, the incognito female Pope, who Platina refers to as John VIII (and which incidentally in this copy has a brief antique annotation on the issue in the margins). Folio (31 x 22cm), 146 leaves + [53] ll. (last blank substituted). Antique marginalia to first part of work, some antique scoring to second work. Title-page repaired at margin with small tape repair, some browning and staining to title, small tape repair to upper margin of another leaf. Occasional light foxing throughout, with a few small spots of staining. Bound in vellum with later endpapers, binding a bit soiled. [Adams P-1412; STC Italian (BL London) 595.]

$3,000.00

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

[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 (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

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

CARTA EXECUTORIA. Dated 1436 & 1537 (possibly later copies). Two 'Carta executoria' manuscripts written on vellum. The first is on the recto of the first leaf of text. The second begins on the recto of the first leaf and is 16 pages in length. There are also two hand-illuminated full-page illustrations on the preceding leaves - one with the family coat of arms, and the second of the Blessed Virgin Mary. What makes these documents of particular interest is that they confer the title of nobility to the de Hostos family, an ancient family in the south of Spain, of which its most famous son was the Puerto Rican patriot, Eugenio Maria de Hostos (1839-1903). The recto of the first leaf is dated December 1537, Ecija. It recognizes the status of 'Hijosdalgo' of Don Anton de Ostos. The verso of the first leaf is written in a different hand and confers the title of nobility to Pedro Sanchez de Ostos and Alfonso Garcia de Ostos by order of King Don Juan II (reign 1405-1454). Based on other records, we know that the conferral of Hidalguia to these two men was given in Valladolid on the 23rd of August, 1436. The document here is possibly a copy of that original. It is written in a small script with occasional flourishes and is signed at the end by several witnesses. There is also a loose vellum signature which I have not been able to place, and which includes an illustration of the family tree. 29 x 20cm. 14 leaves. Bound in 18th century cloth. Worn. Occasional spots to vellum leaves. Illustrations are worn.

$1,500.00

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

EMPEROR THEODOSIUS II (401-450); ET AL. [Edited by Jacques Cujas (1522-1590)]. Codicis Theodosiani libri xvi. Imppp. Theodosii, Valentiniani, Martiani...Novellae Constitutiones. Tituli ex corpore Codicis Gregoriani. Tituli ex corpore Codicis Hermogeniani...XII. Tabular. Fragmenta...[&c.]. Paris: Apud Sebastianum Nivellium, 1586. A grand collection of legal codes and other fragments, with pride of place given to the Theodosian Code, promulgated on the 1st of January 439. The idea of the Code was first proposed by the Emperor Theodosius II in 429 and its intent was to codify the laws from the Emperor Constantine to the present time - with special emphasis on the rise of Christianity in the Empire and its influence on the Empire's legal framework. Twenty-two scholars, working in two teams over nine years, eventually produced the Code, which along with the Justinian Code and the Napoleonic Code stand among the greatest accomplishments of Western legal codification. Included in this edition are also the Codex Gregorianus (291-94) and Codex Hermogenianus (295), both useful sources, but lacking the depth and comprehensiveness of the Theodosian Code. Aside from these major works are a number of minor works, including fragments from the Twelve Tables of Rome (here nicely reproduced in black and red print, preserving the archaic and archaeological feel of the remaining artifacts), as well as a helpful timeline which records the chronology of various laws, decrees, and other legal effects of the late Empire. Folio (37 x 23cm), 20, 644, [140], 152, [10]pp. Lovely historiated initials throughout. Some occasional marginal staining, worming to some leaves with slight textual loss, a couple leaves with light soiling. Bound in contemporary vellum, raised bands, missing part of lower spine, worming and wear to covers. Ex-libris inscription of Petri Raymundi advocati (attorney) on rear endpaper. Quite rare this edition.

$1,500.00



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

POPE GREGORY XIII (1502-1585). Decet Romanum Pontificem aequi... Rome: [Antonio Blado], 1579. Extraordinarily rare broadside issued by Pope Gregory XIII concerning the ecclesiastical organization of the island of Sardinia, with special reference to the decrees of the recently concluded Council of Trent. Once the Council had finished its work in 1563, it still remained for its reforms to be effected throughout Christendom. This broadside is a particularly interesting example in that references to Sardinia rarely enters into the printed ecclesiastical work of the time. Printed on one side only, very small tear to top of leaf, a few light streaks on sheet, measures 47 x 34cm. Wood-cut emblems of Sts. Peter and Paul at head. I could locate only one copy of this broadsheet worldwide - at the National Library in Rome.

$1,500.00

POPE SAINT PIUS V (1504-1572). Extinctio Ordinis fratrum Humiliatorum. Rome: [Antonio Blado], 1571. Very large broadside of the Papal Order suppressing the "Humiliati" - a religious order of obscure origins that had become wayward and unmanageable by the 16th century. The order was probably founded in the 12th century, and changed rules of life rather frequently. By the 16th century, they had become corrupt and wealthy. St. Charles Borromeo was charged by Pope Pius V to address the abuses, and as a result was the object of an assassination attempt by a member of the order in 1569. Pope Pius V decided then to completely suppress the order, and this broadside, dated 7 February, 1570 (though published the following year), is the official act of suppression. There were two printings of the order issued - one, a smaller, four page pamphlet, and a very large broadside, with the exact same text, and printed on one side only. The large broadside is the item being offered here, and while the small issue can be found in a couple of libraries, this broadside may have uniquely survived, as I could locate no copies of it worldwide. Measures 68 x 45cm. Deep impressions of wood-cuts of Sts. Peter and Paul at head. Printed signatures of prelates at bottom. One fold. A really spectacular piece.

$1,750.00



POPE SAINT PIUS V (1504-1572). Extinctio Ordinis fratrum Humiliatorum. Rome: [Antonio Blado], 1571. Four page Papal Order suppressing the "Humiliati" - a religious order of obscure origins that had become wayward and unmanageable by the 16th century. The order was probably founded in the 12th century, and changed rules of life rather frequently. By the 16th century, they had become corrupt and wealthy. St. Charles Borromeo was charged by Pope Pius V to address the abuses, and as a result was the object of an assassination attempt by a member of the order in 1569. Pope Pius V decided then to completely suppress the order, and this pamphlet, dated 7 February, 1570 (though published the following year), is the official act of suppression. There were two printings of the order issued - one, a smaller, four page pamphlet, and a very large broadside, with the exact same text, and printed on one side only. The four page pamphlet is the item being offered here. I could locate copies only at the British Library and the National Library at Rome. Measures 32 x 22cm, 4 pages. Loose as issued. Very small closed tear to second leaf. Slightly browned.

$850.00


Super ordinatione & promotione doctorum, & aliorum cuiuscunque artis, & facultatis professorum de caetero observanda. Rome: [Antonio Blado], 1564. Very interesting Papal Bull, published the year following the conclusion of the Council of Trent, laying out the rules and regulations concerning potential teachers and professors at Catholic institutions of learning. The concern for Catholic orthodoxy, in the face of the spread of Protestantism, was obviously a profound concern at any Catholic educational institution; the last section is dedicated to the tenets of the faith that Catholic professors must abide by - some which had just been formally promulgated at Trent.  Measures 31 x 21cm. 3 pages. Wood-cut emblems on first leaf. Loose as issued. A little bit grubby along the edges. I could locate only two copies of this title in United States' libraries.

$1,500.00

[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



JOHANN GRYNAEUS (1540-1617); ANTONIO GOUVEA (1505-1566); ANDREAS KARLSTADT (1486-1541); JOHANN NEVIUS (1499-1574); PAUL SCHEDE (1539-1602); JAN TURNOWSKI (1567-1629); JOSUA MAALER (1529-1599); AMANDUS POLANUS VON POLANSDORF (d. 1610); JOHANN STUCK, ET AL.

Sammelband of 32 rare tracts published between 1539-1601, mostly in the Swiss university cities of Basel and Zurich. The majority of the tracts date from the 1580s and are related by the common theme of academia, with a significant number of dissertations and theses on the subjects of law and theology. There is also a good representation of neo-latin poetry, usually with the purpose of celebrating a marriage or a political achievement, as well as a number of brief Protestant theological tracts, including those of some from rather prominent 16th century Protestant Reformers such as Johann Wilhelm Stuck (1542-1607) and Andreas Karlstadt (1486-1541). Stuck himself seems to be a theme of the Sammelband as there are works authored by him, presentation copies given by him, and poems by other authors celebrating the marriage of his children. Among the many (and very rare) tracts included here, I will highlight a few that are of special interest. Johann Stuck's 'Prognosticon, sive praedictio' was published in Zurich in 1588, and is an astrological prediction of events that will happen in that same year based on astronomical phenomena. This copy is a presentation copy, given to D. D. Melchior Rolmundo by the author. The tract is 16 leaves or 32 pages in length. I could locate only 2 copies of this title in the United States. Another interesting tract is 'Loci Communes Sacrae Scripturae' by Andreas Karlstadt, a contemporary of Martin Luther, and an important figure in the early Reformation. The Loci Communes is one of the last writings of Karlstadt published during his lifetime; it is dated 1540, but bears no place or publisher. This tract is of the utmost rarity; I could find only one copy worldwide, at the University of Basel. Another important tract is a neo-latin poem by Polish Protestant theologian Jan Turnowski celebrating the military exploits of the Protestant French King, Henry IV. The title of the tract is 'Epopoeia, de expeditione Germanogallica' and was published by Froschauer in Zurich in 1591. It also is a presentation copy given by Johann Stuck. The work is nine pages in length. I could locate only one copy of this work worldwide. The 32 tracts are generally in very good condition, with an occasional stain; a few leaves are trimmed rather close with slight textual loss of headers. They are quarto in format, and the book measures 19 x 15cm. A full bibliography of the contents is available upon request.

$7,500.00



POPE PAUL IV, ET AL.; ST PETER'S BASILICA [BOUND WITH HORATIUS LUTIUS (fl. 1541-1569)]. Privilegia auctoritates, facultates, indulgentiaeque Fabricae Basilicae Principis Apostolorum Sancti Petri de Urbe... [BOUND WITH FIVE PAPAL BULLS & Tractatus, De privilegiis scholarium]. Rome: 1559.

A Sammelband of seven works - six of which concern the financing and construction of St. Peter's Basilica. The first title, 'Privilegia auctoritates', is a collection of papal documents dating from 1512 to 1555, concerning the privileges, powers, and indulgences granted  to the "Fabbrica" of St. Peter's, the committees charged with administering the finances for, and overseeing the construction of New Saint Peter's. Michelangelo, who was appointed chief architect of the project in 1546, would have  still been active as head of the project at the time of this publication. The work was published in 1559 by Antonio Blado and printed by Vaccaro Sofia in Rome. The other five works concerning St. Peter's are short Bulls and quite rare. They are: 1) Bulla...Revisionis et recuperationis [Rome: Antonio Blado, 1570]; 2) Bulla...Quod duae sententiae... [Rome: Blado, 1570]; 3) Bulla...Applicationis fabricae... [Rome: Blado, 1570]; 4) Bulla...Ampliationis, facultatum, super revisione... [Rome: Blado, 1571]; 5) Bulla...Assignationis, & applicationis Fabricae...[Rome: Blado, 1571]. The seventh work included is not related to the other six, but is very interesting in its own right. The work, 'Tractatus de privilegiis scholarium', written by one Horatius Lutius, concerns the legal privileges of students and scholars. The are 100 privileges listed, with copious footnotes and citations as references. Among the more interesting one concern the rules governing the duties of scribes and the copying of the text-books of students undertaken by them [Published in Padua, 1564]. 4to (19 x 14cm), 131 leaves; 3ll; 2ll.; 2ll; 7ll.; 4ll.; [24], 131 pages. Title page of first work has about one inch of bottom clipped without loss; title-page of last work is also damaged and repaired with some loss. A bit of antique underlining, occasional toning, a few light stains. A few margins are trimmed too closely, with slight occasional textual loss of margin text. Bound in later vellum, head of spine chipped. [Adams R739; Adams L2084 (De privilegiis)].

$4,500.00

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