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February 7, 2010

The first work to give formal expression to the notion of an “English Empire”

PRINTED 1685: COMPLETE WITH BOTH MAPS AND THE PLATES

B[URTON], R[obert]. The English Empire in America: Or a Prospect of His Majesties Dominions in the West-Indies. Namely, Newfoundland New-England New-York Pennsylvania New-Jersey Maryland Virginia Carolina Bermuda’s Barbuda Anguilla Montserrat Dominica St. Vincent Antego Mevis, Or Nevis S. Christophers Barbadoes Jamaica With an account of the Discovery, Situation, Product, and other Excellencies of these Countries. To which is prefixed a Relation of the first Discovery of the New World called America, by the Spaniards. And of the Remarkable Voyages of several English-men to divers places therein. London: Printed for Nath. Crouch, 1685. 12mo., 15cm x 8.5 cm., with publisher’s advertisements on last leaf, engraved frontispiece map depicting Newfoundland to Florida, engraved plates of “the Caribee Islands,” and two showing “Strange Creatures in America” (armadillo’s, alligators, etc.). Map of east coast of North America from Maine to Georgia, with ill. Old Calf boards, heavily worn as depicted, boards broken, flyleaf and t.p. loose but present, some browning and chipping, minor loss to front map as depicted, COMPLETE. Old 1909 Bookseller’s label pasted to inner front board for the 1698 edition for the high price $15.00, and noted as “excessively rare.” Ref: Howes B1034; Sabin 9499.   $5500

This work, by R.B., the pseudonym of Nathaniel Crouch, was the first work to give formal expression to the notion of an “Empire”; understood to be the assertion of dominion over foreign places and people, the introduction of whites and slaves, and the creation and maintenance of settlements as well as trade monopolies. It advanced an economic notion of the American Dominions as being an important economic entity, in the national interest to cherish, nurture, protect, and defend, and therefore did much to raise the importance of the colonies in the English consciousness. [Ref: William Roger Louis, Alaine M. Low, Nicholas P. Canny., The Oxford History of the British Empire]    

The work includes fascinating passages from the Indian Captivity of Quentin Stockwell to the founding of New York. A copy of the the famous map was exhibited by the NYPL in “American Shores”.

January 6, 2010

PRINTED 1478: THE GREAT MEDIEVAL FRANCISCAN TEXT

A Very Rare, Early Incunable and an Unusual Uncut Copy

The Incunable:

[Marchesinus, Johannes ] Mammotrectus super Bibliam. Venice : Franciscus Renner, de Heilbronn, and Petrus de Bartua, 1478. 260 ff., the first blank (later) plus vellum rear blank; 4to., 234 x 172 mm., some occasional minor browning and spotting, but overall a complete, fine, and very pleasing copy. A HIGHLY UNUSUAL UNCUT and UNSOPHITICATED COPY, ENTIRELY UNRUBRICATED AND WITH EXCEEDINGLY LARGE MARGINS, whose sheets likely lain in quires and were never bound before receiving their present 19th century binding of boards and calf with raised bands. Late 15th century blotted inscription to lower margin of a1: “hic liber pertinet ad loci sancti Laurentii de Bibiena, in banco sexto in latere dextro,” stating the precise location of the text in what appears to have been the Library of the Convent housing the Minor Franciscan friars of San Lorenzo in Bibiena, Italy. A medieval manuscript in the Walters Art Museum bears a similar inscription.

“Compiled by a thirteenth-century Franciscan at Reggio, near Modena, the Mammotrectus is a manual for the lower clergy with short entries explaining difficult terms and concepts encountered in the Bible. The homely metaphor of the title refers to the “maternal milk,” or nourishment, offered by this text. Its early popularity did not survive the Reformation; already in May of 1515, Erasmus of Rotterdam had criticized those priests who still depended upon the Mammotrectus. ” {reF; “http://smu.edu/bridwell/specialcollections/schoeffer/mammotrectus.htm”]. The first book from the press of Franciscus Renner de Heilbronn is dated 1471 which might indicate when the German printer began printing in Venice. From 1473 to 1477 he worked in partnership with Nicolaus de Frankfordia, the period under which this work was issued.

January 6, 2010

HIGHLY IMPORTANT 1388 MEDIEVAL SPANISH MANUSCRIPT

FOUNDING DOCUMENT OF THE CITY OF Magán, Spain

A 14th century copy of the 1298 original (apparently now lost) by Don Pedro Tenorio, the famous Archbishop of Toledo

The Manuscript:

[Medieval Spanish Manuscript on Vellum] [Toledo, Spain, 1298, this copy executed in 1388] Size: 64 x 38 cm., ” Translado de fundación del Mayorazgo [la aldea] de Magán por Garci Manes, alcade mayor de Toledo [que ortogo] el 9 de enero de la era de 1298 [ano 1260], cuyo original se deposito en el Sagrario dela St. Iglesia Primada de Toledo enel ano x1388, pro mandado de Don Pedro Tenorio, dando una copa a cade uno delos interasados que acudienon apedirala. ” Verso with original 1388 copy, recto with numerous 17th century additions and explanatory text. Partial Tear to one fold not affecting manuscript. Overall, Very Good as depicted. [$6500]

A Highly important medieval Spanish document from several standpoints. For the history of Spanish law, it represents one of the earliest obtainable examples of a “Mayorazgo,” this one being particularly important as it established the city of Magán near Toledo. The Mayorazgo, which granted hereditary rights (generally solely to the first male heir), was a very important legal development under Alfonso X, who established the foundation of Iberian law which stood for centuries. “As a ruler, Alfonso X showed legislative capacity, and a wish to provide the kingdoms expanded under his father with a code of laws and a consistent judicial system. He began medieval Europe’s most comprehensive code of law, the Siete Partidas, which, however, thwarted by the nobility of Castile, was only promulgated by his great-grandson. Because of this, and because the Partidas remain fundamental law in the American Southwest, he is one of the 23 lawmakers depicted in the House of Representatives chamber of the United States Capitol. ” [Wikipedia]

The document states that this is a 14th century copy, executed in 1388, of the original which was deposited for safekeeping in the archives of the Cathedral of Toledo under the direction and hand of Don Pedro Tenorio, the famous Cardinal Archbishop of Toledo, to whom the city owes her glory almost as much as to her Kings. This copy appears signed D.P. Arzobispo Toledo, but this may be a secretarial signature. Another copy of the document, and what appears to be a tertiary copy (i.e. another or later copy- the original 1298 one likely lost) is cited by that magnificent reference work, the Indice de la Colección de don Luis de Salazar y Castro, as being held as Manuscript 50.940 by the Real Academia de la Historia. [Ref: “‪Indice de la colección de don Luis de Salazar y Castro, Volumes 32-33‬‎ – Page 99; Manuscript 50.940. Published: Real Academia de la Historia]

The copy in the Real Academia de la Historia, was collected by great manuscript collector, the Thomas Phillips of Spain: Luis de Salazar. “Luis de Salazar y Castro (Valladolid, 1658 – Madrid, 1734), called by some the prince of the genealogists, is one of the most quoted writers Spanish. The collection of documents gathered throughout his life, preserved in the Royal Academy of History of Spain, is one of the basic sources for the investigation of the Iberian lineage. ”

Such a founding manuscript of a Spanish town, even if a 14th century copy of the the 13th century original, is of extreme rarity outside of Spanish Institutional holdings.

December 13, 2009

PRINTED 1470-1472: SORCERY AND THE ORIGINS OF THE WITCHCRAFT CRAZE

A HUMANIST COPY OF ONE OF THE 15th CENTURY’S MOST IMPORTANT WORKS

ONE OF THE EARLIEST OBTAINABLE INCUNABLES

Nider, Johannes, ca. 1380-1438. Praeceptorium divinae legis, sive, Expositio decalogi]. (Basel : Berthold Ruppel, ca. 1470-1472) Folio. 30 x 21.5 cm., 330 leaves (i.e. 660 pages) ff. 1,24, 25 in contemporary manuscript. 37-38 lines and headline, double column, Gothic type, Rubricated in red throughout. Handsome contemporary blind stamped deerskin with remainder of two engraved clasps, spine relaid many years ago, contemporary vellum manuscript bookseller’s waste and inscribed paper fragments used as pastedowns. f. 1 rebacked, f.2 with old ex-libris markings, small holes to ff. 1-4 and 19, some leaves repaired, light staining to gutter of preliminary leaves. Likely evidence of a late 15th century humanist owner with a manuscript except of Juvenal on the rear board pastedown; Juvenal being commonly taught in humanist schools: ” Malo tibi pater sit Thermites, dummodo tu sis .Xacida:, similem, Vulcaniaque arrna capessas, Quam te Thersita? similem producat Achilles.” Goff N-196; BMC III 715. A VERY ATTRACTIVE, WIDE-MARGINED COPY OF A RARE, DESIRABLE, AND VERY EARLY INCUNABLE    [$16,500]

Like the Formicarus, this seminal work by Nider elucidates the origins of the witchcraft craze and persecutions by helping to lay theological foundations, recording the names of those who had contravened the first commandment of God with unusual rituals and superstitious beliefs and acts. He discusses women who “boasted of having seen the souls in purgatory and of many other fantasies” as well as those who were not affected by the flames of a candle upon their skin. Theological debates and questions run throughout the work on the devil, poltergeists, noctural disturbances, imaginary fires and other malefici [Ref: Lea, Henry Charles Materials Toward a History of Witchcraft Part 1, 1890, reprinted 2004 ]

This book was for many years considered to be a 1464 imprint and thus the first book printed in Switzerland, based on a rubricator’s inscription dated Oct. 20 1464 in another copy. However, this rubricator’s date was later shown to be inaccurate and the date of 1470-1472 is now generally assigned. Regarding the date, the Woldcat-compiled cataloguer’s notes state: “F. Finkenstaedt, in Beiträge zu Forschung, neue Folge 4 (München, 1932) pp.7-33, although wrongly accepting a rubricator’s date of 1464 as genuine, showed that this edition served as exemplar for Zel’s first edition (Goff N-207), of which a copy is known with an acquisition note of 1472 (cf. also V. Scholderer, in The Library V, 3 (1948/49) p.50 and K. Ohly in ZfB 57 (1940) pp.247-60). BMC dated not after 1474, and Goff about 1470.”

November 22, 2009

1476: HISTORY OF THE FLORENTINE PEOPLE: THE “FIRST MODERN HISTORY BOOK”

FIRST EDITION, SPLENDID OPENING ILLUMINATION; COPY BELONGING TO LUCIEN BONAPARTE

THE EARLIEST PRINTED ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE OF DANTE

The Book:

BRUNUS ARETINUS, Leonardus (1369-1444). Historiae florentini populi, in Italian. Translated from the Latin by Donatus Acciaiuolus. Venice: Jacobus Rubeus, 12 February 1476. FIRST EDITION. Folio. (320 x 230 mm). Collation: a-k10 kk6 l-p10 q12 r-x10 (a1 blank, a2r translator’s prologue, a2v author’s prologue, a3v text, x10r colophon, x10v blank). 218 leaves (inc. first blank). 41 lines. Type 1:110R; Colophon: FINE Delduodecimo & ultimo libro della historia del Popolo Fiorentino composta da Messer Lionardo aretino in latino:Et tradocta īlingua tosca da Donato Acciaioli a di.xxvii.dagosto:Mcccclxxiii. Impresso a Vinegia perlo diligente huomo Maestro Iacomo de Rossi di natione Gallo:Nellanno del Mcccclxxvi.a di xii.di Febraio:Regnante lo inclyto Principe Messer Piero Mozenico. Opening initial M finely illuminated by a contemporary Florentine artist in gold leaf on blue, pink and green ground with white penwork infill, extensive white-vine decoration on blue, pink and green ground flanking a central painted armorial shield (rubbed). 19th century vellum over boards, gilt turn-ins, front board detached, spine detached. COMPLETE, WIDE-MARGINED AND TALL COPY; dampstaining throughout and stains, two pages with old repairs, colophon leaf mounted. HC1562; BMC V, Proctor 4242; Goff B-1247. PROVENANCE: Lucien Bonaparte, Prince Français, 1st Prince of Canino and Musignano (21 May 1775 – 29 June 1840), born Luciano Buonaparte, the third surviving son of Carlo Buonaparte and his wife Letizia Ramolino. and the younger brother of Joseph and Napoleon Bonaparte; Evidently presented by Guilliame Libri, the notorious 19th century book thief who removed items from many Continental libraries; French, Asa Palmer (1860-1935) U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, 1906-14.; Maggs Bros Cat. #330; 1914. [$28,000]

“Leonardo Bruni’s most notable work is History of the Florentine People, which has been called the first modern history book. Bruni was the first historian to write about the three period view of history: Antiquity, Middle Age, and Modern, a concept from which the term Middle Age was coined by a contemporary Flavio Biondo. The dates Bruni used to define the periods are not exactly what modern historians use today, but he laid the conceptual groundwork for a tripartite division of history. While it probably was not Bruni’s intention to secularize history, the three period view of history is unquestionably secular and for that Bruni has been called the first modern historian.[1] The foundation of Bruni’s conception can be found with Petrarch who had first written, a generation earlier, about a “Dark Age” covering the period from the time of the fall of Rome extending to the time of Petrarch. Bruni and his fellow humanists believed they had reached the end of the Dark Age and were entering a modern period and thus logically called the intervening period a Middle Age.” [Ref: Wikipedia] Included in the chronicle is the earliest printed account of the life of Dante. The printer, Jacobus Rubeus, was a friend of Nicolas Jenson, the famed typographer, and the type employed here model Jensonian typefaces.