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Poetae Christiani Veteres.

Vol. I & II (in 1 vol.; without vol. III). Venice, Aldus, 1501[-1502]. 4°. I: 233 unnum. (quire count: [*8], ff-gg8, hh10, ii-xx8, yy10, hh-ii8, kk1-5, a10+8, b8+8, c10+8, d8+4; without the three white leaves k6 and d5/6); II: 294 unnum. (numbering of quires: [*8], a-c8, d4, e-i8, k10, aa-dd8, ee6, ff-gg8, hh6, A-F8, G4, H-I8, K4, aaaaaa8+8, bbbbßß10+8, ??cccc8+8, dddddd8+10, eeeeee4+4); contemporary foliation 1-510 at the head. Anchor motto on leaf [*8]. Brown Italian calf binding of the period on three flat bands, spine and cover with beautiful blind stamping, the covers additionally with some gold stamping, very nicely punched edges. (Without the four clasps; small wormholes; torn capitals; rubbed and stained). Adams P-1685, Ahmanson-Murphy Coll. I, 31 and 46. Renouard, Annales Alde, pp. 24ff.: "Collection infiniment rare et précieuse . le peu d'exemplaires qui restent, sont presque tous plus ou moins incomplets". A good copy of the first two volumes of the collection of texts by early Christian authors, a number of which appear here in print for the first time - one of Aldus' most ambitious printed products. There are writings by Prudentius, Sedulius, Iuvencus, Prosper Aquitanus and numerous others. Aldus wanted to popularize Christian authors with his edition, above all to bring them to schools and universities as teaching material, as he explains in his two prefaces. "The large-scale edition of the Christian Latin Poets seems to have been turned into a publisher's nightmare by this kind of enthusiasm. The first volume and the first half of the second were in print in January 1501, but the dedication of the second to Daniele Clari carries the date June 1502. Undated works in Greek and Latin, with the quires differently marked, are added at the end of both volumes. The third volume was delayed until June 1504. The most probable explanation is that Aldus had originally planned a fairly modest edition of the shorter works of Sedulius, Juvencus, Arator and Prudentius which would have been contained in a single volume and now stand in the earliest dated section. Then word got around, scholarly enthusiasm took over, and new material started to flow in: first, a more complete manuscript of Prudentius from England, which upset the balance of the volume; then the Greek works of John of Damascus, Cosmas and Epiphanius wehich were in due course translated, edited, and compounded with the first volume. This of course meant rounding off the second volume, so Piercandido Decembrio was deputed to edit and translate the Homerocentra and the two volumes were apparantly published together some eighteenth months late . It was appropriate that the second volume of this confused series was the first to carry Aldus' famous cipher of the dolphin and anchor, the symbol of the ancient proverb 'Hasten slowly' which Aldus has declared his motto as early as 1499 and seems to have expounded regularly to his friends. In 1502, it was in fact, a very neat apparaisal of his position. He had achieved much." (Martin Lowry, The World of Aldus Manutius, 1979, pp. 148f.). Contemporary Venetian binding of very high quality, but in need of restoration, with beautiful blind and gold embossing and especially beautifully punched gilt edges. A few contemporary handwritten entries in the wide white margins. On leaf aaa1, hh1 and the second last leaf a heavily faded contemporary repeated ownership entry "Iste liber est Monasterii SS. Servatoris Venetiae". The lower white margin of four leaves has been cut away and replaced by a white strip of old paper ([*2], a1, A1 and [1]). Without flyleaves. Traces of moisture in the lower margin of the leaves before and after the erased ownership entries. Small wormhole in white margin in some quires. Only very minor foxing. Owner's note Per Hierta with date 1907 on the inside cover.

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Poetae Christiani Veteres.

Estimate 2 600 - 4 000 EUR
Starting price 2 600 EUR

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For sale on Wednesday 03 Jul : 10:00 (CEST)
pforzheim, Germany
Kiefer
+49723192320
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