Category: Rare Books

July 19, 2011

PRINTED 1522-1524: EXTREMELY RARE EDITIONS OF THE GREAT LATIN REFERENCE WORKS OF Johannes Despauterius

A MAGNIFICENT ZOOMORPHIC GOTHIC BINDING WITH MONKEYS AND DRAGONS

WORLDCAT CITES NO COPIES OF THE FIRST BOOK AND ONLY THE HARVARD COPY OF THE SECOND

 

[Johannes de Spauter; Josse Badius] Prima pars grammaticae Joannis Despauterij Niniuite diligentius ab Ascensio recognita et impressa …[Paris] : Aera merent Badiotersa, aucta, impressa per ipsum, 1524.  124, [2] lvs. small 4to., 20 cm.  COMPLETE… Bound with..   Syntaxis Joannis Despauterii niniuitae tertio edita: in qua per quaestiones & rationes citra sophistarũ nugas distinctissime & facillime omnia digeruntur. [Parisiis] Aera meret Badio nomenq[ue] decusq[ue] parenti. Anno. 1522.  Colophon: Lutetiae ad eid. octob. anni MDXXII, typis & accuratione Iod. Badij Ascensij. Printer’s mark on t..p. 144 lvs. COMPLETE. Occasional light browning, foxing, or staining, primarily prelim. and last leaves as usual, sympathetic re-backing as depicted and later endpapers.  Generally, a VERY GOOD COPY.   EXCEEDINGLY RARE. Worldcat cites NO COPIES of the first 1524 work in Institutional collections; only an undated (presumed 1524 ed) of Jean Petit at Cambridge. Similarly Worldcat only cites Harvard as having a copy of the 1522 edition here, although there are other known Petit editions and Badius Ascensius and Jean  Petit were collaborators and often joint publishers.

 

“Jan de Spauter (Ninove, c. 1480 – Komen, 1520) was a prominent Flemish humanist. His name was Latinized to Johannes Despauterius as was common in the Middle Ages. At the age of 18 Despauterius went to the humanistic college De Lelie in Leuven where he studied for three years. In Leuven he became a Master in the Arts, which meant he had studied and mastered Latin grammar, rhetorica, dialectica, musica, arithmica, geometrica and astronomica. After his studies he starts teaching. After several years teaching, Despauterius published books with regards to Latin grammar (Syntaxis, Ars versificatoria, Grammatica pars prima and Ortographia), which became the standard works of reference for the study of Latin for the next centuries in Western Europe. ” [Wikipedia]

 

posted in: Rare Books

April 28, 2011

PRINTED c. 1488-1490 : ONE OF THE EARLIEST PRINTED BOOKS OF ENGLISH LAW

THE EARLIEST PRINTED ABRIDGMENT OF CASE LAW

HIGHLY IMPORTANT ENGLISH PRINTER

Printed in a specially designed “lettre bâtarde”, the semi-cursive that resembled handwritten script

The Incunable:

[Statham, Nicholas ] [Abridgement of law cases, Edward I-Henry VI, in Norman-French] “Accompte.” [Rouen]: Guillaume Le Talleur, for Richard Pynson, [c.1488- 1490] FOLIO. 24 cm., 187 of 190 lvs., lacking a1 and two prelims (more than 1 and 1/2 pages of the missing prelims through the letter “H” have been copied in contemporary manuscript on a single prelim leaf); q1, r4, and v1 partially cut and defective. The old 1956 auction catalog description that accompanies the book, states that it is missing a title page. This is, in fact, not correct for the work was printed without a title page and before they came into general use. Signatures a-y8, z6, preceded by two unsigned leaves (index), the second of which contains the words (at the end of the index): Printed without a date or author’s name; but presumed to have been printed printed at Rouen by Guillaume Le Talleur, for Richard Pynson “Contains and abridgement of cases decided in the courts between the reign Edward I and the end of that of Henry VI.”–British Museum catalog. Per me R. Pynson Printer’s device on verso of last leaf . Circa 17th century calf with expert rebacking and later endpapers, some marginal worming, occasional thumbing and loss to margins, occasional staining. Overall, a very acceptable copy and certainly one of the most complete to appear at auction. Dated about 1488-90 in CIBN, 1490 by Goff. BMC VIII, 390; STC 23238; Goff S-689. [SOLD]

The Work:

“The earliest printed abridgment of the law is that of Statham (Nicholas), who was appointed a baron of the exchequer in the eighth year of the reign of Edward the Fourth (1468). It is a very curious book, printed, as it would seem, before title-pages were in use, for it is without any title-page, or imprint, or date; and the only notice we have of the printer is the following brief and modest remark, at the end of a short table of contents: “Per me, R. Pynson.” It has been conjectured from the type, that it was printed at Rouen, by William Le Tailleur, who printed Littleton’s Tenures, for Pynson. The latter was bred in the service of Caxton, the first printer with metal types in England, and he succeeded his master in the business. Statham’s Abridgment was published between the years 1470 and 1490, and is a remarkable specimen of the typography of the age.” [Story, Joseph The miscellaneous writings: literary, critical, juridical, and political …J. Munroe and company, 1835]

The Printer:

“Richard Pynson (1448 in Normandy – 1529) was one of the first printers of English books. The 500 books he printed were influential in the standardisation of the English language. Pynson, whose books make him technically and typographically the outstanding English printer of his generation, is credited with introducing Roman type to English printing.” [Wikipedia] This was “the first book commissioned by Richard Pynson as he made the transition from glover and bookbinder to publisher and printer” [Bonhams- see below]

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posted in: Rare Books

April 28, 2011

PRINTED 1601. THE MILTON FRIEDMAN OF SALAMANCA

The 5 Volume COMPLETE Collected works in FOLIO of Martín de Azpilcueta, the Canonist and economist, credited as the FIRST to develop monetarist theory

With the Wonderful Cat and Mouse Printer Device of the Sessa Printing House

The Set:

Martin de Azpilcueta D. Martini ab Azpilcueta Navarri… Opera omnia, quae quidem adhuc fideliter habita sunt, atque edita, ipsius manu extrema donata, & auctoritate roborata,in quinque tomos divisa, commentarios, enchiridia, tractatus, relationesque, ac denique consilia omnia complectens. Venetiis apud Sessas (apud Dominicum Nicolinum) 1601. D. Martini Azpilcuetae Navarri… Commentarii et tractatus ad sacras confessiones, orationesque ac indulgentias omnino pertinentes, D. Martini Azpilcuetae Navarri… Commentarii et tractatus, relectionesve in capita quaedam iuris canonici multa doctrina affluentes… cum indice rerum, ac verborum insignium locupletissimo, D. Martini Azpiculetae Navarri… Consiliorum seu responsorum quinque libris, iuxta titulos… FOLIO, 5 vol. ([24], 381 p.; 381; 139, [67] c.; [104], 267; 194 p.) CONTEMPORARY LIMP VELLUM with Spanish Calligraphic lettering, some browning, textblock separation, toning, foxing; ex-Seminary marking (white lettering can be removed with light acetone rubbing). Overall, A COMPLETE, RARE SET appearing only once in 30 years of the American auction records and CONTAINING THE FAMOUS AND HIGHLY IMPORTANT ECONOMIC WORK ON USURY (114-132 in Tomus Alter of the Consiliorum, Seu Responsorum)
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posted in: Rare Books, Uncategorized

April 28, 2011

A Fundamental Document of Jewish Relations with the State and a major work of Anti-semitic Literature

PRINTED 1614: The Extremely Rare FIRST OFFICIAL EDITION of Stättigkeit and Ordnung

The Book:

Der Juden zu Franckfurt Stättigkeit und Ordnung, wie die selbe so wol von uhralten Jahren hero, als hernacher biß auff das Jahr 1613 gefunden worden. Franckfurt am Mayn, 1614. Small FOLIO, 30.3 cm x 197. COMPLETE. A handsome, wide-margined copy; light toning as usual throughout, later boards and vellum spine. Provenance: From the renowned Charles E. Weber Library. Extremely Rare. No copies sold in 30 Years of the ABPC Auction Records

FIRST OFFICIAL PRINTED EDITION after the unofficial pirated 1613 tract, and a fundamental document of Jewish relations with the State and the place of minority rights in general. While the Jews generally had lived under their own laws and administration, in response to the Frankfurt Guilds demands for increased power and rights at the expense of Jewish economic freedom and community’s rights, the Stättigkeit and Ordnung were issued to regulate and restrict Jewish behavior. The clear rejection in these ordinances of the Imperial privileges and protections granted to the City, culminated in the notorious Fettmilch Rebellion and a pogrom in the city’s Jewish ghetto. The inhabitants of the Judengasse were driven out whilst their houses were plundered and destroyed. Their forced expulsion was short-lived however, and their return in 1614 after the Fettmich Rebellion represented the first time most Christian commentators had supported the Jewish community, noting the distinction and just separation of economic and political rights and religion. Interestingly, the great symbols of anti-semitism and Jewish persecution, the tall conical hat and the yellow badge sewn to clothing, are notably illustrated on page 8 and the title page respectively.

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posted in: Rare Books

April 28, 2011

PRINTED 1517: An Extremely Rare and Influential Low German ‘Golden Legend’

So named because the people of the time considered it worth its weight in gold.

Few works have had a more profound impact on the art and literature of so many nations

Over 200 SPLENDID WOODCUTS

[LOW GERMAN HAGIOGRAPHY] [Based on Voragine, Jacobus de, 1230?-98] Passionael efte dat levent der hyllighen to düde, uth dem latino : Mit velen nyen hystorien und leren, de beth heer to den mynschen vordunkert und vorborghen sint ghewezen: unde nu up dat nye … in dat lycht ghebracht. [Basel] : [Adam Petri], [1517]. Wanting Colophon which reads … Geendighet vñ gedrückt dorch dat beuel Adã Petri börger dat[sic] stadt Basel. Anno. M.d.xvij. Numerous errors in foliation, wanting full page woodcut of the Crucifixion on verso of t.p. signed with the monogram of Hans Schäufelein. 2 VOLS in 1; Incomplete. Vol I: [- 4], [XXXI- CCLXIIII of CCLXIIII]; Vol II: [CXLIIII of CCLVIII], some pagination errors and thus difficult to collate, 4to., 28.5 cm., disbound, prelim lvs. loose, restiching required, c. 18th century marbled pasteboards, some browning and staining as depicted, some woodcuts and pages with loss, some woodcuts partially excised or censored due to religious and political sensibilities. Overall, a fascinating torso of an extremely rare Low German Hagiography with over 200 woodcuts, largely attributed to the Grüninger workshop , with chapter headpieces attributed to Urs Graf. Only 1 copy has appeared in 30 years of the American auction records. Copies of the Legenda aurea or Passionael in vernacular tongues are extremely sort after for their influence on language, art, and literature of the period and are far rarer than their Latin counterparts.  [SOLD]

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posted in: Rare Books