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Details
AUGUSTINUS, Aurelius (Saint, 354-430). De Civitate Dei. Venice: Johannes and Vindelinus de Spira, 1470.
A tall, wide-margined copy of the first Venice edition, also the fourth book printed at Venice and fourth or fifth edition of De civitate Dei. In addition to exercising a monumental influence on western thought and theology, Saint Augustine paved the way for the European scientific revolution. His view of human history as a developmental process with meaning presumed an assessment of ‘things in terms of their origins and of the steps that have led to their present state’ (DSB). Johannes de Spira established the first press at Venice in 1469. Johannes died suddenly, and the edition was completed by his brother Vindelinus, named here for the first time. The colophon also gives valuable evidence for the earlier books, stating that the Pliny, which immediately preceded De civitate Dei, was printed in 100 copies within 3 months. Based on the number of other works subsequently printed by Vindelinus in 1470, Geldner argues that the Augustinus appeared early in 1470 and thus pre-dates Sweynheym and Pannartz's edition printed at Rome the same year (Die deutschen Inkunabeldrucker, pp.62-4). H *2048; GW 2877; BMC V 153; Bod-inc A-520; BSB-Ink A-855; ISTC ia01233000; Goff A-1233.
Royal folio (407 x 277mm). 274 leaves. Opening initials in red and blue, some with penwork, others in either or, book numbering in top margins and chapter headings neatly supplied in red ink throughout, vellum quire guards, early quiring sometimes preserved (D5v and D6r with two contemporary manuscript corrections of chapter headings and a few printed lines on shaved paper and paint respectively, occasional marginal dampstaining and spotting, light worming). Contemporary Freiburg blindstamped calf over wooden boards stamped ‘fr.rolet.stos’ [EBDB w002225], remains of label on spine, manuscript pastedowns - see below (remains of clasps, spine ends and lower board defective, light worming, scuffed). Provenance: Switzerland, Freiburg, Franciscan Monastery (binding by Brother Rolet Stoss) – Geneva, François Bonivard (1493-1570) jurist, an ecclesiastic and historian whose life was the inspiration for Lord Byron's 1816 poem The Prisoner of Chillon (inscriptions cancelled) – Savoy, Louis Milliet, Baron de Faverges (1527-99), first president of the Senate of Savoy at Chambéry (inscriptions dated 1557).
Pastedowns: two leaves from a Giant Carolingian Bible, in Latin [France, perhaps Tours, late 9th century]. 46 lines in two columns, ruled space: 355 x 100mm. The text from 1 Chronicles 27:14, beginning ‘[undecimus mense undecimo Banaias] Pharathonites de filiis Ephraim’ to 1 Chronicles 28:15, ending ‘sed et ad candelabra au[rea]’ (upper pastedown) and 2 Peter 10:1, beginning ‘[Profectus est autem] Roboam in Sichem’ to 2 Peter 11:22, ending: ‘Ipsum enim regem [facere cogitabat]’ (lower pastedown). The script is datable to the transitional period of the Carolingian minuscule book-hand from the 9th to the 10th century, when, as a general rule, the script became slightly thinner, the clubbing of the main strokes less pronounced, and the bows of the letter ‘g’ tended to close up. Parallels can be drawn with the script in a Canons dated 888 CE (St Gall. Cod. 672), where we see a similar tendency to slope the letters, and less symmetry in their formation.
A tall, wide-margined copy of the first Venice edition, also the fourth book printed at Venice and fourth or fifth edition of De civitate Dei. In addition to exercising a monumental influence on western thought and theology, Saint Augustine paved the way for the European scientific revolution. His view of human history as a developmental process with meaning presumed an assessment of ‘things in terms of their origins and of the steps that have led to their present state’ (DSB). Johannes de Spira established the first press at Venice in 1469. Johannes died suddenly, and the edition was completed by his brother Vindelinus, named here for the first time. The colophon also gives valuable evidence for the earlier books, stating that the Pliny, which immediately preceded De civitate Dei, was printed in 100 copies within 3 months. Based on the number of other works subsequently printed by Vindelinus in 1470, Geldner argues that the Augustinus appeared early in 1470 and thus pre-dates Sweynheym and Pannartz's edition printed at Rome the same year (Die deutschen Inkunabeldrucker, pp.62-4). H *2048; GW 2877; BMC V 153; Bod-inc A-520; BSB-Ink A-855; ISTC ia01233000; Goff A-1233.
Royal folio (407 x 277mm). 274 leaves. Opening initials in red and blue, some with penwork, others in either or, book numbering in top margins and chapter headings neatly supplied in red ink throughout, vellum quire guards, early quiring sometimes preserved (D5v and D6r with two contemporary manuscript corrections of chapter headings and a few printed lines on shaved paper and paint respectively, occasional marginal dampstaining and spotting, light worming). Contemporary Freiburg blindstamped calf over wooden boards stamped ‘fr.rolet.stos’ [EBDB w002225], remains of label on spine, manuscript pastedowns - see below (remains of clasps, spine ends and lower board defective, light worming, scuffed). Provenance: Switzerland, Freiburg, Franciscan Monastery (binding by Brother Rolet Stoss) – Geneva, François Bonivard (1493-1570) jurist, an ecclesiastic and historian whose life was the inspiration for Lord Byron's 1816 poem The Prisoner of Chillon (inscriptions cancelled) – Savoy, Louis Milliet, Baron de Faverges (1527-99), first president of the Senate of Savoy at Chambéry (inscriptions dated 1557).
Pastedowns: two leaves from a Giant Carolingian Bible, in Latin [France, perhaps Tours, late 9th century]. 46 lines in two columns, ruled space: 355 x 100mm. The text from 1 Chronicles 27:14, beginning ‘[undecimus mense undecimo Banaias] Pharathonites de filiis Ephraim’ to 1 Chronicles 28:15, ending ‘sed et ad candelabra au[rea]’ (upper pastedown) and 2 Peter 10:1, beginning ‘[Profectus est autem] Roboam in Sichem’ to 2 Peter 11:22, ending: ‘Ipsum enim regem [facere cogitabat]’ (lower pastedown). The script is datable to the transitional period of the Carolingian minuscule book-hand from the 9th to the 10th century, when, as a general rule, the script became slightly thinner, the clubbing of the main strokes less pronounced, and the bows of the letter ‘g’ tended to close up. Parallels can be drawn with the script in a Canons dated 888 CE (St Gall. Cod. 672), where we see a similar tendency to slope the letters, and less symmetry in their formation.
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