Details
BIBLE, COMPLUTENSIAN POLYGLOT. Edited by Diego Lopez de Zuñiga, Aelio Antonio de Lebrija (Nebrissensis), Demetrius Ducas, Alonso de Zamora, and others. Alcalá de Henares: Arnald Guillén de Brocar, for Cardinal Francisco Ximenes de Cisneros, 10 January 1514-10 July 1517 [published not before March 1520 (date of papal privilege)].
6 volumes. Royal 2° (374 x 255mm). Collation: Volume I: +8 (+1 blank, +2r title with arms of Ximenes in red and woodcut border, +2v blank, +3r dedication to Pope Leo X, +3v to the reader on the Old Testament, +4r De arte inueniendi radicem, +5r prologues on the New Testament including letter of Jerome to Paulinus and Jerome's preface to the Pentateuch, +8v papal privilege dated 22 March 1520); a-z6 aa-zz6 &&6 8 2a2 (Pentateuch, 8v blank, 2a1-2 errata); Volume II: [π1]2 a-z6 aa-tt6 vv4 2a2 ([π]1r title with arms printed in red, [π]1v dedication to Leo X, [π]2r to the reader, a1r Joshua - 2 Paralipomenon (Chronicles), Oratio Manasses, 2a1r errata); Volume III: aaa-ddd6 eee4 Aaa-Bbb6 Ccc4 Ddd-Hhh6 Iii4 a-i6 k4 l-o6 p8 A-E6 F4 2a2 (aaa1r title with arms printed in red, aaa1v dedication to Leo X, aaa2r to the reader, aaa3r Esdras-Ecclesiasticus, k4 blank, F4v blank, 2a1r errata, 2a2 blank); Volume IV: a-z6 aa-oo6 pp4 A-F6 G4 2a2 (a1r title with arms printed in red, a1v dedication to Leo X, a2r to the reader, a2v prologue to Isaiah, a3r Isaiah-3 Maccabees, G4r colophon dated 10 July 1517, device, G4v blank, 2a1r errata); Volume V: a4 A-Q6 α6 R-Z6 Aa-LL6 MM8 2a10 3a6 b-f6 g4 (a1r title with arms printed in black within double woodcut border, a1v blank, a2r preface to the reader in Greek and Latin, a3r Eusebius to Carpianus, a3v Jerome to Pope Damasus, prologues, A1r New Testament, MM7v colophon dated 10 January 1514, device, MM8 commendatory verses in Greek and Latin, 2a1r Interpretationes hebreorum chaldeorum grecorumque nominum noui testamenti (arranged by biblical book), 3a1r introduction to Greek, 3a2r Greek-Latin vocabulary, g3v blank, g4 blank); Volume VI: [π]2 A-Z6 AA-EE6 Ff4 a8 2A-2D6 2E2 3A-3B6 3C4 ([π]1r title with arms printed in red, [π]1v to the reader, [π]2 blank, A1r Vocabularium hebraicum, FF4r colophon dated 17 March 1515, device, FF4v blank, a1r Latin index to the Vocabularium, 2A1r Interpretationes hebraicorum, chaldeorum, grecorumque nominum veteris ac noui testamenti (in alphabetical order), 2E1r index of name variants, 3A1r Introductiones artis grammatice hebraice, 3C4 blank). I: 299 (of 300, without blank +1); II: 260; III: 204; IV: 268; V: 273 (of 274, without blank g4); VI: 223 (of 224, without blank [π]2) leaves. Text in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin, printed in 2, 3 and 4 columns in Hebrew, Greek, Roman, and Gothic types. Woodcut arms of Cardinal Ximenes on title-pages of all volumes, within woodcut borders, woodcut initials, printer's device in vols. IV-VI, initial spaces with guide-letters. (Some leaves browned slightly, marginal paper flaw in VI:V4, small stain on VI:G6 affecting a few letters.) Uniformly bound in late 18th-century French red straight-grained morocco over pasteboard, gilt fillets on covers, spine gilt-tooled in compartments, gilt turn-ins, marbled endpapers, gilt edges, pink silk ribbon marker.
Provenance: [Nicolas] Bachelier (sale by Coustelier of about 30,000 vols., not including this Bible, Paris 1725), signature on titles of vols. 1,3,4 and 6 only; Lyons Bibliothèque publique, 18th-century stamp on title of vol. 2 only; Payne & Foss cat. 1832, no.72 at #36.15.0; bought from Payne & Foss by Botfield for #47.5.0, with price pencilled in first volume (P. & F. Acquisitions, p.7).
THE FIRST OF THE GREAT POLYGLOT BIBLES. FIRST PRINTING OF THE SEPTUAGINT AND THE FIRST PRINTING OF THE NEW TESTAMENT IN GREEK. Cardinal Ximenes, founder of the university at Alcalá, initiated this Complutensian Polyglot Bible in 1502 in honour of the birth of the future Charles V. To reconcile the many variations in the Latin Vulgate, the team of editors turned to the originals, and Greek and Hebrew manuscripts were purchased by Ximenes specifically for this project. Other manuscripts were lent by Leo X, on one of which Guillén de Brocar modelled his Greek type, cited by Proctor as "the finest Greek fount ever cut." The New Testament, volume 5, was the first volume printed, in 1514, and thus predates Erasmus's Greek New Testament of 1516 (see lot 3). The printing of the Septuagint, volumes I-IV, was finished in 1517 and thus predates the Aldine Greek Bible of 1518 (see lot 4) as well. However, although completed in 1517, the Polyglot Bible was not published until 1520, the year in which Erasmus's papal privilege for his Greek New Testament expired; a vellum copy was presented to the Pope in December 1521. The papal privilege granted for the Complutensian Polyglot Bible in March 1520 specifies that as many as 600 copies were printed.
Some leaves exist in several states. This copy has on the title of volume 1 seven lines of text below the coat-of-arms ending "latina interpreta- tione." and vol.I: +8v line 1 reads "FPISCOPO" and line 5 "FT DILFCTE."
Noted in the catalogue of Botfield's acquisitions from Payne & Foss as a "beautiful copy", this Complutensian Polyglot Bible is also unusually complete, lacking only three blank leaves. James Lyell (Cardinal Ximenes, (London) 1900) in his census listed 49 copies in Britain, almost half of which are imperfect. Only the Chatsworth set, sold in these rooms in 1982, was a copy recently on the market that was as complete, though not as fine, as the Botfield set.
Adams B-968.1; Brunet I, 849-50; D & M 1412 and 4593; PMM 52; Martin Abad, Imprenta en Alcalá de Henares, 28a; Botfield 40-47
6 volumes. Royal 2° (374 x 255mm). Collation: Volume I: +8 (+1 blank, +2r title with arms of Ximenes in red and woodcut border, +2v blank, +3r dedication to Pope Leo X, +3v to the reader on the Old Testament, +4r De arte inueniendi radicem, +5r prologues on the New Testament including letter of Jerome to Paulinus and Jerome's preface to the Pentateuch, +8v papal privilege dated 22 March 1520); a-z6 aa-zz6 &&6 8 2a2 (Pentateuch, 8v blank, 2a1-2 errata); Volume II: [π1]2 a-z6 aa-tt6 vv4 2a2 ([π]1r title with arms printed in red, [π]1v dedication to Leo X, [π]2r to the reader, a1r Joshua - 2 Paralipomenon (Chronicles), Oratio Manasses, 2a1r errata); Volume III: aaa-ddd6 eee4 Aaa-Bbb6 Ccc4 Ddd-Hhh6 Iii4 a-i6 k4 l-o6 p8 A-E6 F4 2a2 (aaa1r title with arms printed in red, aaa1v dedication to Leo X, aaa2r to the reader, aaa3r Esdras-Ecclesiasticus, k4 blank, F4v blank, 2a1r errata, 2a2 blank); Volume IV: a-z6 aa-oo6 pp4 A-F6 G4 2a2 (a1r title with arms printed in red, a1v dedication to Leo X, a2r to the reader, a2v prologue to Isaiah, a3r Isaiah-3 Maccabees, G4r colophon dated 10 July 1517, device, G4v blank, 2a1r errata); Volume V: a4 A-Q6 α6 R-Z6 Aa-LL6 MM8 2a10 3a6 b-f6 g4 (a1r title with arms printed in black within double woodcut border, a1v blank, a2r preface to the reader in Greek and Latin, a3r Eusebius to Carpianus, a3v Jerome to Pope Damasus, prologues, A1r New Testament, MM7v colophon dated 10 January 1514, device, MM8 commendatory verses in Greek and Latin, 2a1r Interpretationes hebreorum chaldeorum grecorumque nominum noui testamenti (arranged by biblical book), 3a1r introduction to Greek, 3a2r Greek-Latin vocabulary, g3v blank, g4 blank); Volume VI: [π]2 A-Z6 AA-EE6 Ff4 a8 2A-2D6 2E2 3A-3B6 3C4 ([π]1r title with arms printed in red, [π]1v to the reader, [π]2 blank, A1r Vocabularium hebraicum, FF4r colophon dated 17 March 1515, device, FF4v blank, a1r Latin index to the Vocabularium, 2A1r Interpretationes hebraicorum, chaldeorum, grecorumque nominum veteris ac noui testamenti (in alphabetical order), 2E1r index of name variants, 3A1r Introductiones artis grammatice hebraice, 3C4 blank). I: 299 (of 300, without blank +1); II: 260; III: 204; IV: 268; V: 273 (of 274, without blank g4); VI: 223 (of 224, without blank [π]2) leaves. Text in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin, printed in 2, 3 and 4 columns in Hebrew, Greek, Roman, and Gothic types. Woodcut arms of Cardinal Ximenes on title-pages of all volumes, within woodcut borders, woodcut initials, printer's device in vols. IV-VI, initial spaces with guide-letters. (Some leaves browned slightly, marginal paper flaw in VI:V4, small stain on VI:G6 affecting a few letters.) Uniformly bound in late 18th-century French red straight-grained morocco over pasteboard, gilt fillets on covers, spine gilt-tooled in compartments, gilt turn-ins, marbled endpapers, gilt edges, pink silk ribbon marker.
Provenance: [Nicolas] Bachelier (sale by Coustelier of about 30,000 vols., not including this Bible, Paris 1725), signature on titles of vols. 1,3,4 and 6 only; Lyons Bibliothèque publique, 18th-century stamp on title of vol. 2 only; Payne & Foss cat. 1832, no.72 at #36.15.0; bought from Payne & Foss by Botfield for #47.5.0, with price pencilled in first volume (P. & F. Acquisitions, p.7).
THE FIRST OF THE GREAT POLYGLOT BIBLES. FIRST PRINTING OF THE SEPTUAGINT AND THE FIRST PRINTING OF THE NEW TESTAMENT IN GREEK. Cardinal Ximenes, founder of the university at Alcalá, initiated this Complutensian Polyglot Bible in 1502 in honour of the birth of the future Charles V. To reconcile the many variations in the Latin Vulgate, the team of editors turned to the originals, and Greek and Hebrew manuscripts were purchased by Ximenes specifically for this project. Other manuscripts were lent by Leo X, on one of which Guillén de Brocar modelled his Greek type, cited by Proctor as "the finest Greek fount ever cut." The New Testament, volume 5, was the first volume printed, in 1514, and thus predates Erasmus's Greek New Testament of 1516 (see lot 3). The printing of the Septuagint, volumes I-IV, was finished in 1517 and thus predates the Aldine Greek Bible of 1518 (see lot 4) as well. However, although completed in 1517, the Polyglot Bible was not published until 1520, the year in which Erasmus's papal privilege for his Greek New Testament expired; a vellum copy was presented to the Pope in December 1521. The papal privilege granted for the Complutensian Polyglot Bible in March 1520 specifies that as many as 600 copies were printed.
Some leaves exist in several states. This copy has on the title of volume 1 seven lines of text below the coat-of-arms ending "latina interpreta- tione." and vol.I: +8v line 1 reads "FPISCOPO" and line 5 "FT DILFCTE."
Noted in the catalogue of Botfield's acquisitions from Payne & Foss as a "beautiful copy", this Complutensian Polyglot Bible is also unusually complete, lacking only three blank leaves. James Lyell (Cardinal Ximenes, (London) 1900) in his census listed 49 copies in Britain, almost half of which are imperfect. Only the Chatsworth set, sold in these rooms in 1982, was a copy recently on the market that was as complete, though not as fine, as the Botfield set.
Adams B-968.1; Brunet I, 849-50; D & M 1412 and 4593; PMM 52; Martin Abad, Imprenta en Alcalá de Henares, 28a; Botfield 40-47