Beschreibung:

LASCARIS, Constantinus (1434-1501). Erotemata , Greek and Latin. [Translation Johannes Crastonus Placentinus (fl. 2nd half 15th century, O. Carm.)]. - Aldus MANUTIUS (ca. 1450-1515). De litteris graecis et diphthongis. Abbreviationes . - PYTHAGORAS (ascribed to). Carmina aurea , Greek and Latin. - PHOCYLIDES (fl. 544-541 B.C.). Moralia , Greek and Latin. - And other shorter texts. Venice: Aldus Manutius 28th February 1494/5, 8th March 1495. Aldine 4° (206 x 150mm). Collation: a-r 8 s 4 (a1 r title In hoc libro haec Continentur ... , a1 v -2 r Aldus's preface to students, a2 v -s4 r Lascaris's Greek grammar and Crastonus's translation on opposite pages, s4 v first colophon); Ξ 2 (this unsigned quire normally inserted at the end but here signed in manuscript t 2 , 1 r errata, incipit: Non fieri potuit quin impressores quaedam ... inverterint depravarintque , 2 r short grammatical note in Greek extracted from Erotemata by Manuel Moschopoulos [fl. 1300]); A-C 8 (A1 r Aldus's second preface to students, incipit: Nihil Praetermittere est animus , a2 r his treatise on Greek letters and diphthongs, a8 v on Greek abbreviations and contractions, B1 v -4 r Lord's Prayer, the Angelic Salutation, Salve Regina , the Apostles' Creed and the Logos prologue to St. John's Gospel, B3 v the Pythagorean Golden Verses, B6 v Phocylides' Moralia , all in Greek and Latin, C8 v second colophon). 166 leaves. Greek type 1 * :125, i.e. the earliest state of the first Aldine Greek fount cut by Francesco Griffo and apparently modelled on the hand of the calligrapher Immanuel Rhusotas, with many separately cast accents (see N. Barker, A. Manutius ch. 6); roman type 3:108 leaded to 125mm. Setting on a5 r agrees with the Cracherode copy (IA. 24382), the setting on B5 r agrees with the Grenville and George III copies (IA. 24383-4). 2 woodcut initials and 2 woodcut headpieces (in early colouring) on a2 v -3 r , which are the only rubricated pages with underlinings and paragraph marks. (An attempt to wash away early manuscript marginalia has resulted in staining on the margins of the first two dozen leaves, otherwise in fresh unpressed condition.) 18th-century English red morocco gilt, dentelle border tooled on sides (binding rebacked). Provenance : Sir George Shuckburgh (armorial bookplate). THE FIRST PRODUCTION FROM THE ALDINE PRESS. This edition, together with Aldus's simultaneous request to the Signoria of Venice for a privilege of his Greek printing, formed the prelude to the great series of Greek editiones principes that he was to produce over the next two decades with the help of his humanistic friends, and thus forms one of the most important publishing events of the Italian Renaissance. Fourth edition of Erotemata , the manuscript for which had been corrected by Lascaris himself and brought from Messina by Pietro Bembo and Angelo Gabriele. EDITIO PRINCEPS of the Pythagoras and Phocylides and the first edition of Aldus's own treatise. HC * 9924; Pr 5546; BMC V, 552; Oates 2161; Rhodes 1079; Goff L-68; IGI 5693; CIBN L-50; Legrand I, 12; Proctor, Printing of Greek p. 93-102 and pl. XIV; M.Lowry, The World of Aldus Manutius p. 224-5; Flodr p. 240; Renouard 1.