JUSTINIEN Ier.

Institutiones iuris civilis. S.l. Geneva, Simon Du Bosc & Guillaume Guéroult], 1555. In-8, olive morocco, double gilt fillet, coat of arms in the centre and gilt numeral in the corners, spine decorated, gilt edges (Binding of the period). Rare Geneva edition of the Institutes of the Emperor Justinian, with the important gloss by Accursius. This law manual for students is part of the famous Corpus juris civilis. Mark with crowned palm on title. A REGULAR EXAMPLE, WITH THE ARMS AND FIGURES OF AUDEBERT CATIN, lord of Le Vau and Chartrettes, counsellor and secretary to the King, House and Crown of France, treasurer and paymaster of the gens d'armes of the Constable of Montmorency (cf. OHR, pl. 633; Guigard, t. II, p. 117). The spine of the binding, which bore only the title and the cipher of this bibliophile, was decorated in the 17th century with a small repeated fleuron and a palette on the headpieces. On the title, handwritten ex-libris of the time (crossed out), ex-libris dated 1835 and a note in pen at the foot. At the end of the Arbor civilis, this curious old annotation: François Lagoille is a lazy man who does not study and he will never be anything but an ignorant man if he does not apply himself more, but if he does not do it willingly I will make him do it by force or I will curtail him. Bookplate of the journalist and playwright Henri Lavedan (1859-1940). Fine restorations to the binding, slight scratch on the first cover.