Details
ARISTOTLE (384-322 B.C.). Opera, in Greek. With works by Galen (129-199? A.D.), Theophrastus (ca. 370 - ca. 287 B.C.), Philo Judaeus (ca. 30 B.C. - 45 A.D.), Alexander Aphrodisiensis (fl. early 3rd century A.D.) and other authors. Edited by Aldus, Thomas Linacre, Justin Decadyos, Gabriel Bracius and others. Venice: Aldus Manutius, 1 November 1495 - June 1498.
Aldine 2° (307 x 207 mm), 5 parts bound in 6 volumes. Collation (complicated quire symbols replaced by numbers):
I. Organon: A-K8 L-N6 (A1r three epigrams: anonymous, Scipio Carteromachus, Aldus, A1v Aldus's dedicatory letter to Alberto Pio of Carpi, A2r letter to the reader by Alexander Agathemeros, A2v letter by Scipio Carteromachus, A3r-B4v Porphyry's Universalia, B5r-D6r Categories, D6v-E8r Hermeneutics, E8v-N6v Prior Analytics); a-c8 d-e6 (a1r Posterior Analytics, e6v blank); f-q8 r-s6 (f1r Topics, p4r Sophistici Elenchi, s5v-6r register and colophon, s6v contents table in Latin). 234 leaves.
II. Natural Philosophy 1: 1-48 (1/1r title in Greek and Latin, 1/1v-2v Aldus's letter to Pio, 1/3r-4/8v lives of Aristotle and Theophrastus by Diogenes Laertius, life of Aristotle by Johannes Philoponus, Galen's introduction to philosophy); a-l8 (Physics, l8 blank); m-z & A-B8 C6 (m1r De caelo, s1v De generatione et corruptione, x2v Meteorology); D-I8 K6 (D1r Aristotle's De mundo, E4r Philo's De mundo, F6r-I6v Theophrastus on fire, wind and stones, I7r unidentified authors on the signs of waters and winds, K6r colophon, K6v blank). 300 leaves.
III. Natural Philosophy 2: aa-kk10 (kk10v with mounted cancel-strip containing omitted last line and catchword) ll-zz && AA-ΠΠ10 (ΠΠ10+1 signed PP and printed on recto, verso blank, uncancelled blank conjugate follows PP10) PP-ΦΦ10 XX8 (aa1 title in Greek, aa1v Aldus letter to Pio, aa2r-YY5r nineteen treatises by Aristotle, YY5v-XX5v five treatises by Theophrastus, XX6r-7v register and colophon, XX8 blank); 18 (spurious fragments of bk. 10 on the nature of animals, 1/8r note to the reader, 1/8v blank). 468 leaves.
IV. Natural Philosophy 3, bound in 2 volumes: 12 (1r title in Greek and Latin, 1v Aldus letter to Pio, 2 blank cancelled), aaa-zzz &&& AAA-CCC8 DDD10 (aaa1r Theophrastus De historia plantarum, ppp7v Theophrastus De causis plantarum, DDD10v blank); 2aaa-2mmm8 2nnn-2ooo10 (aaa1r table of contents, aaa1v Aristotle's Problems); a-d8 e10 (Alexander Aphrodisiensis's Problems, e10v blank); 2a-2b6 (Aristotle's Mechanics); 2AAA-OOO8 PPP10 (Aristotle's Metaphysics, PPP5r Theophrastus's Metaphysics, PPP10r register and colophon, PPP10v blank). 519 leaves, divided after fo. 227.
V. Moral Philosophy: 4α-4ι10 4κ4 (4α1r title in Greek and Latin, 4α1v Aldus letter to Pio, 4α2r Nicomachean Ethics, 4κ4 blank); 4λ-4φ10 4ξ6 (Politics, 4ξ6 blank); 4χ12 (Economics, 12v blank); 4ώ 4A-4B10 4Γ6 (Magna Moralia); 4Δ-4I10 4K12 (Eudemian Ethics, 4K11v-12r register and colophon, 4K12v blank). 330 leaves.
Types 1:146Gk (text), 3:108R (pt. I colophon and contents table), 4:81R (pt. I dedication), 2:114R and 7:114Gk (other dedications). 30 lines an headline (no headlines in pt. I). Numerous woodcut floral and interlace headpieces and Greek initials, woodcut diagram (pt. I, I1r).
(Title to pt. V with extreme upper blank margin replaced and rehinged, probably inserted from another copy: autograph note signed with initials by Charles Lewis loosely inserted, Sir I thought the first leaf fastened in, much better than the one that wants filling in the type that, I did not have it done but if you think otherwise, it can be done any time Yr ob; lightly washed and pressed by Lewis, charged at #1 10s for thirty hours of cleaning). FINELY BOUND FOR BERIAH BOTFIELD BY CHARLES LEWIS IN 1834, gold-tooled olive morocco over pasteboard, decorated "in the Grolier style" (thus described in P & F Acquisitions list 3v, where the cost of binding is given as 21 gns.), geometric design, fillets and gouges forming an interlacing ribbon on sides and in compartments of spines, gilt edges, yellow endpapers (watermark dates 1832-33).
Provenance: Joseph Justus Scaliger 1540-1609, indisputably the greatest classical scholar of his time (March 1609 auction at Leyden, sale catalogue p. 10); two 18th-century inscriptions in vol II, the first giving the Scaliger provenance with a reference to Johannes Fabricius and recording the price of another set of Aristotle, 50 Lübeck Marks in the Marquardus Gudius sale [1709], the second Ex bibliotheca viri incomparabilis Josephi Scaligeri; Richard Heber, "a bibliomaniac if ever there was one" (De Ricci p. 102), lot 503 in his 10 April 1834 sale at Sotheby's ("very fine copy, with many uncut leaves, formerly Scaliger's," sold at #22); sold to Botfield by Payne and Foss for 30 gns. when this set of the Aldine Aristotle was still bound in boards.
EDITIO PRINCEPS OF ARISTOTLE and of all other texts included. AN IMPORTANT ASSOCIATION COPY AND IN EXTREMELY FINE, BIBLIOPHILE CONDITION. The Aristotle was the largest venture of Greek printing in the 15th century and the first major objective in Aldus's publishing programme. The parts were marketed separately and Aldus's 1498 broadside advertisement of Libri graeci impressi (Einblattdrucke 897) priced them individually according to the number of sheets. The present set may have been together from the beginning and it was certainly complete in the Scaliger sale ("VI. voll.").
The first two Aldine Greek types (146 and 114mm), both here represented, were cut by Francesco Griffo and apparently modelled on the hand of Immanuel Rhusotas; many accents were cast separately and set through vertical kerning (see Barker, Greek Script & Type ch. 6 and 7). HC *1657; GW 2334; BMC V, 553 (IB. 24392-95), 556 (IB. 24431-33), 555 (IB. 24423-25), 556 (IB. 24435-37), 558 (IB. 24463-65); Goff A-959; IGI 791; Sander 591; Essling 862; Flodr, Aristoteles 1; Renouard 7.5, 10.1, 11.2, 11.3, 16.1; PMM 38. Botfield 194-204.
Aldine 2° (307 x 207 mm), 5 parts bound in 6 volumes. Collation (complicated quire symbols replaced by numbers):
I. Organon: A-K8 L-N6 (A1r three epigrams: anonymous, Scipio Carteromachus, Aldus, A1v Aldus's dedicatory letter to Alberto Pio of Carpi, A2r letter to the reader by Alexander Agathemeros, A2v letter by Scipio Carteromachus, A3r-B4v Porphyry's Universalia, B5r-D6r Categories, D6v-E8r Hermeneutics, E8v-N6v Prior Analytics); a-c8 d-e6 (a1r Posterior Analytics, e6v blank); f-q8 r-s6 (f1r Topics, p4r Sophistici Elenchi, s5v-6r register and colophon, s6v contents table in Latin). 234 leaves.
II. Natural Philosophy 1: 1-48 (1/1r title in Greek and Latin, 1/1v-2v Aldus's letter to Pio, 1/3r-4/8v lives of Aristotle and Theophrastus by Diogenes Laertius, life of Aristotle by Johannes Philoponus, Galen's introduction to philosophy); a-l8 (Physics, l8 blank); m-z & A-B8 C6 (m1r De caelo, s1v De generatione et corruptione, x2v Meteorology); D-I8 K6 (D1r Aristotle's De mundo, E4r Philo's De mundo, F6r-I6v Theophrastus on fire, wind and stones, I7r unidentified authors on the signs of waters and winds, K6r colophon, K6v blank). 300 leaves.
III. Natural Philosophy 2: aa-kk10 (kk10v with mounted cancel-strip containing omitted last line and catchword) ll-zz && AA-ΠΠ10 (ΠΠ10+1 signed PP and printed on recto, verso blank, uncancelled blank conjugate follows PP10) PP-ΦΦ10 XX8 (aa1 title in Greek, aa1v Aldus letter to Pio, aa2r-YY5r nineteen treatises by Aristotle, YY5v-XX5v five treatises by Theophrastus, XX6r-7v register and colophon, XX8 blank); 18 (spurious fragments of bk. 10 on the nature of animals, 1/8r note to the reader, 1/8v blank). 468 leaves.
IV. Natural Philosophy 3, bound in 2 volumes: 12 (1r title in Greek and Latin, 1v Aldus letter to Pio, 2 blank cancelled), aaa-zzz &&& AAA-CCC8 DDD10 (aaa1r Theophrastus De historia plantarum, ppp7v Theophrastus De causis plantarum, DDD10v blank); 2aaa-2mmm8 2nnn-2ooo10 (aaa1r table of contents, aaa1v Aristotle's Problems); a-d8 e10 (Alexander Aphrodisiensis's Problems, e10v blank); 2a-2b6 (Aristotle's Mechanics); 2AAA-OOO8 PPP10 (Aristotle's Metaphysics, PPP5r Theophrastus's Metaphysics, PPP10r register and colophon, PPP10v blank). 519 leaves, divided after fo. 227.
V. Moral Philosophy: 4α-4ι10 4κ4 (4α1r title in Greek and Latin, 4α1v Aldus letter to Pio, 4α2r Nicomachean Ethics, 4κ4 blank); 4λ-4φ10 4ξ6 (Politics, 4ξ6 blank); 4χ12 (Economics, 12v blank); 4ώ 4A-4B10 4Γ6 (Magna Moralia); 4Δ-4I10 4K12 (Eudemian Ethics, 4K11v-12r register and colophon, 4K12v blank). 330 leaves.
Types 1:146Gk (text), 3:108R (pt. I colophon and contents table), 4:81R (pt. I dedication), 2:114R and 7:114Gk (other dedications). 30 lines an headline (no headlines in pt. I). Numerous woodcut floral and interlace headpieces and Greek initials, woodcut diagram (pt. I, I1r).
(Title to pt. V with extreme upper blank margin replaced and rehinged, probably inserted from another copy: autograph note signed with initials by Charles Lewis loosely inserted, Sir I thought the first leaf fastened in, much better than the one that wants filling in the type that, I did not have it done but if you think otherwise, it can be done any time Yr ob; lightly washed and pressed by Lewis, charged at #1 10s for thirty hours of cleaning). FINELY BOUND FOR BERIAH BOTFIELD BY CHARLES LEWIS IN 1834, gold-tooled olive morocco over pasteboard, decorated "in the Grolier style" (thus described in P & F Acquisitions list 3v, where the cost of binding is given as 21 gns.), geometric design, fillets and gouges forming an interlacing ribbon on sides and in compartments of spines, gilt edges, yellow endpapers (watermark dates 1832-33).
Provenance: Joseph Justus Scaliger 1540-1609, indisputably the greatest classical scholar of his time (March 1609 auction at Leyden, sale catalogue p. 10); two 18th-century inscriptions in vol II, the first giving the Scaliger provenance with a reference to Johannes Fabricius and recording the price of another set of Aristotle, 50 Lübeck Marks in the Marquardus Gudius sale [1709], the second Ex bibliotheca viri incomparabilis Josephi Scaligeri; Richard Heber, "a bibliomaniac if ever there was one" (De Ricci p. 102), lot 503 in his 10 April 1834 sale at Sotheby's ("very fine copy, with many uncut leaves, formerly Scaliger's," sold at #22); sold to Botfield by Payne and Foss for 30 gns. when this set of the Aldine Aristotle was still bound in boards.
EDITIO PRINCEPS OF ARISTOTLE and of all other texts included. AN IMPORTANT ASSOCIATION COPY AND IN EXTREMELY FINE, BIBLIOPHILE CONDITION. The Aristotle was the largest venture of Greek printing in the 15th century and the first major objective in Aldus's publishing programme. The parts were marketed separately and Aldus's 1498 broadside advertisement of Libri graeci impressi (Einblattdrucke 897) priced them individually according to the number of sheets. The present set may have been together from the beginning and it was certainly complete in the Scaliger sale ("VI. voll.").
The first two Aldine Greek types (146 and 114mm), both here represented, were cut by Francesco Griffo and apparently modelled on the hand of Immanuel Rhusotas; many accents were cast separately and set through vertical kerning (see Barker, Greek Script & Type ch. 6 and 7). HC *1657; GW 2334; BMC V, 553 (IB. 24392-95), 556 (IB. 24431-33), 555 (IB. 24423-25), 556 (IB. 24435-37), 558 (IB. 24463-65); Goff A-959; IGI 791; Sander 591; Essling 862; Flodr, Aristoteles 1; Renouard 7.5, 10.1, 11.2, 11.3, 16.1; PMM 38. Botfield 194-204.