Details
LIVIUS, Titus (59 B.C.-17 A.D.). Historiae Romanae decades. Edited by Joannes Andreae de Buxiis (1417-75), Bishop of Aleria. Venice: Vindelinus de Spira, 1470.
2 volumes, royal 2° (395 x 282 mm). Collation: [1-212 3-1110 1210(9+1) 13-1510 16-178 18-3410 35-368 37-4110 42.4], divided after 24 (1/1 blank, 1/2r editor's address to Pope Paul II, 1/4r book summaries, 3/1r Decade I, 17/8 blank, 18/1r Decade III, (vol. 2) 25/1r Decade III, Book 6, 31/10v blank, 32/1r Decade IV, 42/14 blank). 418 leaves (of 421, without the blank leaves 1/1, 17/8 and 42/14). 49 lines. Type 1:110R (first state). 8- to 14-line initial spaces opening each book, Decade I, Book 1 with later gold letter with white-vine and colored decoration, initials to books 2 and 3 supplied in gold, the remainder in brown ink, other 1- to 2-line initial spaces, occasional remains of early manuscript quiring. (Small wormholes filled affecting a few letters in first and final quires, short wormtrack in extreme gutter of quire 22, occasional small light stains or spotting.) Red straight-grained morocco over pasteboard, gilt triple fillet border to sides, spine lettered in gilt and with double raised bands, gilt turn-ins with greek-key border, marbled endpapers, gilt edges, by Christian Kalthoeber, with his ticket on flyleaf (light darkening at edges, very minor scuffing).
Provenance: a few contemporary MS corrections; (Upham and Beet, booksellers, label); Charles Lemuel Nichols, bookplate.
Second or third edition, the first dated edition, and among the earliest books printed at Venice. Vindelinus continued the printing shop of his brother Johannes, first printer at Venice, after Johannes's early death at the end of 1469. Johannes had completed only 3 editions and part of a fourth before his death, and the Livy is probably the second book printed by Vindelinus alone. The Spira edition follows the Sweynheym and Pannartz edition of about 1469, and it probably follows the Ulrich Han edition printed in 1470 (before 3 August). The date 1469 in the Crawford copy of the Spira edition (sold Sotheby's 12 March 1891, lot 1905) has been shown to be a forgery (see M. Castelliana, Bulletin du bibliophile et du bibliothécaire, 1891).
Sheet 3/1.10 has been reset in the present copy, incorporating lines initially omitted from 3/9v-10r. As other copies (British Library, IC.19517) with this sheet reset, this copy does not have the woodcut borders and capitals found in uncorrected copies. A LARGE COPY.
HC 10130; BMC V, 154 (IC. 19517-19); CIBN L-177; IGI 5771; Pellechet 7206-7; Goff K-238.
2 volumes, royal 2° (395 x 282 mm). Collation: [1-212 3-1110 1210(9+1) 13-1510 16-178 18-3410 35-368 37-4110 42.4], divided after 24 (1/1 blank, 1/2r editor's address to Pope Paul II, 1/4r book summaries, 3/1r Decade I, 17/8 blank, 18/1r Decade III, (vol. 2) 25/1r Decade III, Book 6, 31/10v blank, 32/1r Decade IV, 42/14 blank). 418 leaves (of 421, without the blank leaves 1/1, 17/8 and 42/14). 49 lines. Type 1:110R (first state). 8- to 14-line initial spaces opening each book, Decade I, Book 1 with later gold letter with white-vine and colored decoration, initials to books 2 and 3 supplied in gold, the remainder in brown ink, other 1- to 2-line initial spaces, occasional remains of early manuscript quiring. (Small wormholes filled affecting a few letters in first and final quires, short wormtrack in extreme gutter of quire 22, occasional small light stains or spotting.) Red straight-grained morocco over pasteboard, gilt triple fillet border to sides, spine lettered in gilt and with double raised bands, gilt turn-ins with greek-key border, marbled endpapers, gilt edges, by Christian Kalthoeber, with his ticket on flyleaf (light darkening at edges, very minor scuffing).
Provenance: a few contemporary MS corrections; (Upham and Beet, booksellers, label); Charles Lemuel Nichols, bookplate.
Second or third edition, the first dated edition, and among the earliest books printed at Venice. Vindelinus continued the printing shop of his brother Johannes, first printer at Venice, after Johannes's early death at the end of 1469. Johannes had completed only 3 editions and part of a fourth before his death, and the Livy is probably the second book printed by Vindelinus alone. The Spira edition follows the Sweynheym and Pannartz edition of about 1469, and it probably follows the Ulrich Han edition printed in 1470 (before 3 August). The date 1469 in the Crawford copy of the Spira edition (sold Sotheby's 12 March 1891, lot 1905) has been shown to be a forgery (see M. Castelliana, Bulletin du bibliophile et du bibliothécaire, 1891).
Sheet 3/1.10 has been reset in the present copy, incorporating lines initially omitted from 3/9v-10r. As other copies (British Library, IC.19517) with this sheet reset, this copy does not have the woodcut borders and capitals found in uncorrected copies. A LARGE COPY.
HC 10130; BMC V, 154 (IC. 19517-19); CIBN L-177; IGI 5771; Pellechet 7206-7; Goff K-238.