Beschreibung:

AMBROSIUS, St (339-397). Opera . Edited by Johann Amerbach and Johannes (Heynlin) de Lapide. Basel: Johann Amerbach, 1492. First edition of the works of St Ambrose , the 4th-century bishop of Milan. The initiator of ideas that provided a model for the medieval conception of church and state rising above the ruin of the Roman empire, St Ambrose was also highly praised for the eloquence of his Latin style. Volumes I & III have a uniform blind-tooled binding with the double heraldic shield attributed to Wilhelm von Reichenau (1464-1496), bishop of Eichstätt. Volume I in particularly fine condition, with title woodcut of St Ambrose writing. HC 896*; GW 1599; BMC III 753; BSB-Ink A-480; CIBN A-291; Bod-inc A-228; Goff A551. 3 parts in 3 volumes, folio (I & III: 308 x 215mm; II: 312 x 215mm). Roman and Gothic type. Woodcut portrait of the author on title, variously attributed to Albrecht Durer and the Meister des Haintz Narr (see Meder, Durer-Katalog , p.187, no. 220). Initials in red or blue, rubrication in both red and blue. (Vol. II with title detached, first quire a little tattered, waterstaining and occasional tears to margins. Vol. III: f4r slightly soiled at bottom margin, light worming from e5 to end slightly affecting text). A non-uniform set: vols. I and III in blindstamped ?deerskin with the arms of ?Wilhelm of Reichenau on front covers, pastedowns from a German 15th-century choirbook with music notation (some staining, lightly rubbed, short splits at spine, one clasp defective); vol. II in blindstamped pigskin, metal conrerpieces, rear pastedown from a German manuscript Bible c.1200, paper spine labels (without centerpiece, missing one clasp, covers soiled and stamps rather indistinct). Provenance : Wilhelm von Reichenau (1464-1496, bishop of Eichstätt; binding of vols I & III) -- Engelbach 1742 (inscription at foot of title).