Volume III Part 16 (1/2)

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 p.r.o.nounces 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 coa.r.s.e 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 workmans.h.i.+p. 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 t.i.tle, 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 advertis.e.m.e.nt 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, const.i.tutes 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 ma.n.u.script; 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.