![CORDIALE QUATTUOR NOVISSIMORUM, English -- Cordyal of the four last and final thinges. Translated from the French version of Jean Mielot into English by Anthony Woodville, second Earl Rivers (1442?-1483). [Westminster:] William Caxton, 3rd February-24th March 1479.](https://www.christies.com/img/LotImages/2001/NYR/2001_NYR_09878_0030_000(033317).jpg?w=1)
細節
CORDIALE QUATTUOR NOVISSIMORUM, English -- Cordyal of the four last and final thinges. Translated from the French version of Jean Mielot into English by Anthony Woodville, second Earl Rivers (1442?-1483). [Westminster:] William Caxton, 3rd February-24th March 1479.
Chancery 2o (295 x 210mm). Collation: [1-98 106] (-1/1 blank, 1/2r-v translator's preface, incipit: al Ingratitude utterly settyng apart, we owe to calle, 1/3r-v table of contents, incipit: tHis present tretys is devided in four principal parties Of the Whiche every parte conteyneth thre other, 1/4r-v Cordyal prologue, incipit: mEmorare novissima et ineternum non pecca bis, 1/5r Cordyal text, incipit: i Seye that recording the Remembraunce ef deth maketh a man to be meke, 10/4v-5v printer's epilogue and colophon, incipit: tHis book is thus translated out of frenshe into our maternal tongue by the noble and vertuouse lord Anthoine Erle Ryviers, Lord Scales & of the Isle of Wight, Defenseur and directeur of the causes apostolique for our holy fader the Pope in this Royame of Englonde, Uncle & governour to my lorde prince of Wales. Which book was delivered to me William Caxton by my saide noble lorde Ryviers on the day of purificacion of our blissid lady, fallyng the tewsday the secunde day of the moneth of feverer. In the yeer of our lord MCCCClxxviii for to be enprinted, and so multiplied to goo abrood emonge the peple, explicit: Whiche werke present I began the morn after the saide Purificacion of our blissid Lady. Whiche was the the daye of Seint Blase Bisshop and Martir. And fiinsshed on the even of thannunciacion of our said bilissid Lady fallyng on the wednesday the xxiiii daye of Marche. In the xix yeer of Kyng Edwarde the fourthe, 10/6 blank). 69 leaves only (of 78; lacking first blank, quire 3 in facsimile). Bastarda types 2*:135 (text) and 3:136 (quotation from Ecclesiasticus, names in the text), both cut and supplied by Johann Veldener from Louvain. 29 lines. Initial-spaces with guide-letters. (Preface-leaf 1/2 apparently from another copy with red ruling and much repaired, affecting about a dozen letters, marginal repair to 1/3, more minor marginal repair to several other leaves, extreme lower outer blank corners mostly replaced, very minor worming occasionally mended or affecting letters, but mostly marginal, some staining at the beginning.) Maroon morocco gilt, probably by Riviere (joints repaired).
Provenance: Richard Harrys, cleric (contemporary ownership inscription below colophon) -- Bridget Edwardes (early-17th-century ownership inscription on 5/7v, cursing potential thieves of the book), the pen-trial prayers on the final blank are also hers -- Maurice Johnson (1688-1755, librarian of the Society of Antiquaries, founder of Spalding's "Gentlemen's Society," one of England's oldest provincial literary associations), sold in a local sale at Spalding 21 March 1898, lot 433, through Pickering & Chatto to -- Richard Bennett, who extracted quire 3 to complete his Ashburnham copy (now in the Morgan Library, De Ricci 33.7) -- J.T. Adams, sold at Sotheby's 7 December 1931, lot 63, £700 to Quaritch -- Boies Penrose II (bookplates) -- [Sotheby's 23 June 1975, lot 175, £14,000] -- purchased from John F. Fleming, New York, November 1979.
FIRST ENGLISH EDITION of the most popular eschatological treatise of the late Middle Ages. The Latin original has been variously ascribed to Geert Groote, Dionysius Cartusianus, Johannes de Vliederhoven, Henricus de Hassia and others. It went through some 75 incunable editions and was translated into German (three times), Dutch, French (twice), English, Spanish and Catalan. The first French translation, by Jean Mielot in 1455 (according to a contemporary manuscript in the Royal Library, Brussels), was printed by Caxton in Bruges shortly before he established Britain's first press within the precincts of Westminster Abbey in late 1475 or early 1476. Within a couple of years he published Lydgate and other small-quarto poetry, indulgences and other broadsides, but also substantial folios such as Chaucer, History of Jason and Dicts and Sayings of the Philosophers, the latter also translated from French by Earl Rivers.
Rivers was one of the bravest and most powerful, as well as pious, men in England. His allegiance and triumphant services to Edward IV were amply rewarded, but he was executed by Richard III less than three months after the succession. He is now better known for his literary efforts and as the patron of England's prototypographer. Caxton is particularly informative about him in the epilogue to Cordyal. Rivers brought in the manuscript of his translation on 2nd February 1478/79 and Caxton's journeymen started work the next day; printing finished seven weeks later. Caxton's successor, Wynkyn de Worde, reprinted the work in quarto format c. 1496 (Duff 110).
EXTREMELY RARE. Only eleven other copies are recorded, none in private hands (British Library [imperfect], Birmingham Public Library, Cambridge University Library, Glasgow University Library, John Rylands Library, Bodleian Library [imperfect]; Huntington Library, Library of Congress, Morgan Library [completed], Yale British Art Center [imperfect]; Museum Meermanno-Westreenianum [imperfect]). HC 5714; GW 7536; Proctor 9631; Oates 4071; IDL 1413; Duff 109; De Ricci 33.13; Goff C-907; STC 5758.
Chancery 2o (295 x 210mm). Collation: [1-98 106] (-1/1 blank, 1/2r-v translator's preface, incipit: al Ingratitude utterly settyng apart, we owe to calle, 1/3r-v table of contents, incipit: tHis present tretys is devided in four principal parties Of the Whiche every parte conteyneth thre other, 1/4r-v Cordyal prologue, incipit: mEmorare novissima et ineternum non pecca bis, 1/5r Cordyal text, incipit: i Seye that recording the Remembraunce ef deth maketh a man to be meke, 10/4v-5v printer's epilogue and colophon, incipit: tHis book is thus translated out of frenshe into our maternal tongue by the noble and vertuouse lord Anthoine Erle Ryviers, Lord Scales & of the Isle of Wight, Defenseur and directeur of the causes apostolique for our holy fader the Pope in this Royame of Englonde, Uncle & governour to my lorde prince of Wales. Which book was delivered to me William Caxton by my saide noble lorde Ryviers on the day of purificacion of our blissid lady, fallyng the tewsday the secunde day of the moneth of feverer. In the yeer of our lord MCCCClxxviii for to be enprinted, and so multiplied to goo abrood emonge the peple, explicit: Whiche werke present I began the morn after the saide Purificacion of our blissid Lady. Whiche was the the daye of Seint Blase Bisshop and Martir. And fiinsshed on the even of thannunciacion of our said bilissid Lady fallyng on the wednesday the xxiiii daye of Marche. In the xix yeer of Kyng Edwarde the fourthe, 10/6 blank). 69 leaves only (of 78; lacking first blank, quire 3 in facsimile). Bastarda types 2*:135 (text) and 3:136 (quotation from Ecclesiasticus, names in the text), both cut and supplied by Johann Veldener from Louvain. 29 lines. Initial-spaces with guide-letters. (Preface-leaf 1/2 apparently from another copy with red ruling and much repaired, affecting about a dozen letters, marginal repair to 1/3, more minor marginal repair to several other leaves, extreme lower outer blank corners mostly replaced, very minor worming occasionally mended or affecting letters, but mostly marginal, some staining at the beginning.) Maroon morocco gilt, probably by Riviere (joints repaired).
Provenance: Richard Harrys, cleric (contemporary ownership inscription below colophon) -- Bridget Edwardes (early-17th-century ownership inscription on 5/7v, cursing potential thieves of the book), the pen-trial prayers on the final blank are also hers -- Maurice Johnson (1688-1755, librarian of the Society of Antiquaries, founder of Spalding's "Gentlemen's Society," one of England's oldest provincial literary associations), sold in a local sale at Spalding 21 March 1898, lot 433, through Pickering & Chatto to -- Richard Bennett, who extracted quire 3 to complete his Ashburnham copy (now in the Morgan Library, De Ricci 33.7) -- J.T. Adams, sold at Sotheby's 7 December 1931, lot 63, £700 to Quaritch -- Boies Penrose II (bookplates) -- [Sotheby's 23 June 1975, lot 175, £14,000] -- purchased from John F. Fleming, New York, November 1979.
FIRST ENGLISH EDITION of the most popular eschatological treatise of the late Middle Ages. The Latin original has been variously ascribed to Geert Groote, Dionysius Cartusianus, Johannes de Vliederhoven, Henricus de Hassia and others. It went through some 75 incunable editions and was translated into German (three times), Dutch, French (twice), English, Spanish and Catalan. The first French translation, by Jean Mielot in 1455 (according to a contemporary manuscript in the Royal Library, Brussels), was printed by Caxton in Bruges shortly before he established Britain's first press within the precincts of Westminster Abbey in late 1475 or early 1476. Within a couple of years he published Lydgate and other small-quarto poetry, indulgences and other broadsides, but also substantial folios such as Chaucer, History of Jason and Dicts and Sayings of the Philosophers, the latter also translated from French by Earl Rivers.
Rivers was one of the bravest and most powerful, as well as pious, men in England. His allegiance and triumphant services to Edward IV were amply rewarded, but he was executed by Richard III less than three months after the succession. He is now better known for his literary efforts and as the patron of England's prototypographer. Caxton is particularly informative about him in the epilogue to Cordyal. Rivers brought in the manuscript of his translation on 2nd February 1478/79 and Caxton's journeymen started work the next day; printing finished seven weeks later. Caxton's successor, Wynkyn de Worde, reprinted the work in quarto format c. 1496 (Duff 110).
EXTREMELY RARE. Only eleven other copies are recorded, none in private hands (British Library [imperfect], Birmingham Public Library, Cambridge University Library, Glasgow University Library, John Rylands Library, Bodleian Library [imperfect]; Huntington Library, Library of Congress, Morgan Library [completed], Yale British Art Center [imperfect]; Museum Meermanno-Westreenianum [imperfect]). HC 5714; GW 7536; Proctor 9631; Oates 4071; IDL 1413; Duff 109; De Ricci 33.13; Goff C-907; STC 5758.