23 - HROSVITA. The Life of the Illustrious Virgin and Nun Hrosvita, of German-Saxon descent, recently discovered by Conrad the Celt. Nuremberg, Printed in Nuremberg under the privilege granted by the Roman Imperial Senate to the Celtic Society, in the year 1501. F. Peypus, 1501. Folio, 82 unnumbered folios, green morocco, blind-stamped, lined with red morocco, very wide tooth binding with small metal fittings, gilt edges (Duru, 1846).

HROSVITA. The Life of the Illustrious Virgin and Nun Hrosvita, of German-Saxon descent, recently discovered by Conrad the Celt. Nuremberg, Printed in Nuremberg under the privilege granted by the Roman Imperial Senate to the Celtic Society, in the year 1501. F. Peypus, 1501. Folio, 82 unnumbered folios, green morocco, blind-stamped, lined with red morocco, very wide tooth binding with small metal fittings, gilt edges (Duru, 1846). A very rare FIRST EDITION of the works of Hrosvita, a 10th-century German nun, published by the humanist Conrad Celtes based on a manuscript he discovered in Regensburg. They consist of 6 comedies and 8 poems on ecclesiastical history and the history of the Ottonians. This extremely valuable work is illustrated with 8 SPLENDID WOODCUTS, shown here as superb proofs, including one repeat print, full-page in size. The first two—one depicting the author presenting his book to Duke Frederick of Saxony and the other showing Hrosvite offering her book to Emperor Otto—are both by ALBRECHT DURER (see Meder, p. 279). The others are by Dürer’s master, Michel Wohlgemuth. They depict the baptism of a naked knight in a wooden tub, the pyre on which the three sisters are standing, a resurrection, and Wisdom in mourning. A VERY BEAUTIFUL COPY, perfectly clean and richly bound by Duru. Fairfax-Murray, German no. 210, Brunet III, 356.