Details
LUCANUS, UTINENSUS BARTOLUS. Bartoli Lucani Utinensis as Innocentium Pontificem Max. VIII Oratio. [Rome]: Eucharius Silber, [1483-90]. 16 LEAVES, PRINTED ON VELLUM WITH PRELIMINARY SUMMARY LEAF. 26 lines. 8vo, 232 x 152 mm., (9 1/8 x 6 in.), bound in calf, preserving elaborate blind tooled contemporary covers; some minor marginal browning, early marginalia on one leaf, contains a blank vellum leave at end (possibly from early binding). Collation: [a b 8]. Goff L291; Hain 10251; BMC IV:123.
Bartolus Lucanus compiled his merical Oratio at the behest of the citizens of Friul, to formally acknowledge the new Pope, Innocent VIII, and to celebrate his election. Lucanus emphasizes the wealth of knowledge inherited from ancient civilization and the importance of studying relics and ancient texts. To illustrate his point, he compiles a catalogue of ancient discoveries and inventions, starting with weapons of war, and proceeding to commercial products such as Spanish linen and wool. He describes the making of silk from silkworms, the invention of writing, and discoveries in medicine, science, philosophy, and literature.
The initial leaf (which is not recorded by Hain), serves as a title-page. It contains a summary in prose of the subject and the argument of the poems.
Bartolus Lucanus compiled his merical Oratio at the behest of the citizens of Friul, to formally acknowledge the new Pope, Innocent VIII, and to celebrate his election. Lucanus emphasizes the wealth of knowledge inherited from ancient civilization and the importance of studying relics and ancient texts. To illustrate his point, he compiles a catalogue of ancient discoveries and inventions, starting with weapons of war, and proceeding to commercial products such as Spanish linen and wool. He describes the making of silk from silkworms, the invention of writing, and discoveries in medicine, science, philosophy, and literature.
The initial leaf (which is not recorded by Hain), serves as a title-page. It contains a summary in prose of the subject and the argument of the poems.