Beschreibung:

AESOP: AVIANUS: ALPHONSE: POGGIO FIORENTINO. Fables , in the French translation of Julien Macho, ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM [France, c.1495]273 x 180mm. 45 leaves: 1 6(of 8, lacking i/viii), 2 8, 3 8, 4 4(of ?8, lacking i, ii, vii and viii), 5 8, 6 5(of 8, lacking iv/v and viii), 7 6, 31 lines written in brown ink in a gothic bookhand between two verticals and 32 horizontals ruled in red, justification: 191 x 108mm, rubrics in red, paragraph marks of liquid gold on grounds of blue or rusty red with gold decoration, patterned or twiggy line-endings of the same colours, two- and three-line initials of liquid gold modelled with red on grounds of blue decorated with white, SIXTY-SIX MINIATURES in full colour and heightened with liquid gold illustrating the central event of each fable (spotting and small stains in margins of several folios, large stain affecting text on f.40, rubrics smudged on ff.11v, 13 and 20, small smudges on five miniatures and small pigment losses to seven miniatures). 19th-century French panelled brown morocco gilt. UNIQUE ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT OF AESOP'S FABLES IN FRENCH PROVENANCE: 1. Jehan Chaseray, procureur du roi, living at Gien on the Loire: ownership note f.43v 2. Adam d'Orival, grandson of Jehan Chaseray: ownership note f.43v 3. An inscription in a 16th-century hand on the final verso has the name Courtoie, with the first name erased, above the motto 'a ung seul dieu louenge honneur et gloire'. The motto is repeated twice on the penultimate verso above 'Henricus rex dei gratia Francorum'. 4. Antoine Moriau (1699-1759): his library stamp on f.43v. Moriau, who had succeded his father as Procureur du Roi et de la Ville de Paris, was not only an excellent magistrate but an indefatigable bibliophile possessed of a considerable fortune. At his death he owned 14,000 printed and 2,000 manuscript books, all of which he left to the city of Paris for the formation of a public library in the Hôtel de Ville. His intentions were not fulfilled and the collection was later dispersed. 5. William Bragge of Birmingham, one-time Mayor of Sheffield (1823-1884): Jonathan Peckover's note on the front endleaf recording the purchase of the manuscript from the collection of Mr Bragge, a 'plain self-taught man' who began buying manuscripts some 25 years earlier 'with the simple idea of obtaining specimens of calligraphy and travelled all over the world in search of his favourite objects'. Bragge's collection of 491 manuscripts 'formed by a gentleman of consummate taste and judgement' was sold in June 1876 (see lot 86). 6. Jonathan Peckover: purchase note as above and his bookplate inside upper cover, with the label of Jane Peckover and the card of Algerina Peckover. Lot 21 at the Peckover sale, Sotheby's 3 December 1951 (see lot 86). CONTENT: Aesop: Fables , Third Book ff.1-13; Aesop: Fables according to the new translation ff.13-20; Avianus ff.20-26v; Alphonse ff.27-37v; Poggio ff.38-43v This is the second half of the translation of the Life and Fables of Aesop, with additional works of other fabulists, that was made by Frère Julien Macho between 1477 and 1480: P. Ruelle, Recueil général des Isopets , iii, L'Esope de Julien Macho , Société des Anciens Textes Français (1974). Little is known about Macho beyond what can be learned from the titles and colophons of incunable editions of his works: he belonged to the Order of Augustinian Hermits in Lyons, was a doctor of theology and was said to be the prior of the convent there. Other survivals of his scholarly undertakings include translations of mystical treatises -- the Speculum vitae humanae and Speculum humanae salvationis -- the New Testament, legends of the saints and the Book of Job. None of his other efforts, however, had the widespread and continued appeal of the Vie et Fables d'Esope , which was first printed in Lyons in 1480 (Philippi & Reinhart: GW368) but appeared in no fewer than six editions by the end of the century. Perhaps because of the rela