Early Printing & Manuscripts / History, Law & Philosophy

CONESTAGGIO, Girolamo. Dell unione del regno di Portogallo alla corona di Castiglia. Istoria.
Genoa, Girolamo Bartoli, 1589. 4to. With 12 decorated woodcut initials, 12 woodcut headpieces, and 4 woodcut tailpieces. Slightly later Italian/Iberian limp vellum, with the manuscript title on the head edge of the leaves and at the head of the spine, a paper label ("1350") at the foot of the spine, green closing ties. [1], [1 blank], [22], 7, [1 blank], 412 pp. Full description

CURTIUS RUFUS, Quintus. Quintus Curtius. [De rebus Alexandri Regis Macedonum libri III-X.]
Venice, heirs of Aldo I Manuzio & Andrea I Torresano, July 1520. 8vo. With Aldos woodcut anchor and dolphin device on the title-page, repeated on the verso of the otherwise blank last leaf (each with letterpress "AL ... DUS" flanking the device). Set in Aldos famous italic (with upright capitals), the worlds first italic printing type, first used in 1501. Richly blind-tooled brown goatskin morocco (early 20th-century with the older bookplate moved to the new paste-down?). [8], 170, [2] ll. Full description

DUDLEY, Robert, Earl of Leicester. Placcaet op tstuck vande convoyen (mitsgaders licenten, ...) ghedaen ... by zyne Excellentie, tot Utrecht den laetsten Aprilis, anno. M. D. LXXXVI.
Utrecht, widow of Coenraet Henricksz, 1586.
With: (2) DUDLEY, Robert, Earl of Leicester. [Incipit:] ¶ Robert, Grave van Leycester ..., allen ... die deze ... sullen sien oft hooren lesen saluyt. Alsoo ...: so ist dat wy ... goet ... geacht hebben, alle de ... lysten vanden goedere[n] gaende naer ... vreemde lande[n], ..., te redigeren en[de] dresseren in ee[n] sijste[! = lijste], ....
(Colophon: Utrecht, printed by Hendrick van Borculo, [1586]). 2 works sewn together. 4to. Disbound. [8]; [17], [1 blank] pp. Full description

[PAMPHLET - DUTCH-SPANISH WAR]. Een goedt advijs, opt stuck vande vrede ende oorloghe in dese Nederlanden: by een edel-man ende oprecht lief-hebber syns vader-landts ende der ghemeyner ruste, aen eenen synen goeden vriendt, by forme van missive, overgheschreven. Na de copie.
[Delft], [Aelbrecht Hendricksz.], 1584. 4to. Woodcut interlaced capital 'o' on title, woodcut headpiece. (14, 2 blank) pp. Full description

[DUTCH WAR OF INDEPENDENCE]. Abschrifft und gruendlicher Bericht eines schreibens der Ritterschafft, Edlen, und Stett, in Holland, in namen und von wegen der Stende derselben Landtschafft, an die Herren, welche das ampt aller Stend der Niderland tragen: Sie darinnen vermanet, dass sie einhelliglich (der Koeniglichen Man von Spannien zu gutem) dieselbige Land, auss des Hertzogen von Alba, und seiner Spanniart gewalt und Tiranney, widerumb zu ihrer alten Welfart und Freiheit helffen bringen.
[Germany?], 1574. 4to. With a woodcut arabesque ornament on the title-page. Modern boards. [37], [3 blank] pp. Full description

ERASMUS, Desiderius. Sileni Alcibiadis ... Cum Scholijs Ioannis Frobenij, pro graecarum uocum & quorundam locorum apertiori intelligentia ad calcem adiectis.
(Colophon:) Basel, Johann Froben, April 1517. 2 parts in 1 volume. 4to. With 4 decorated woodcut initials, and a woodcut printer's device at the end of each part. Including: IDEM. Scarabeus. Cum shcoliis[!], in quibus Graeca potissimum, quae passim inserta sunt, exponuntur.
(Colophon:) Basel, Johann Froben, May 1517. Late 19th-century or early 20th-century boards, red edges. 42 ll. Full description

ERASMUS, Desiderius. Plutarchi Chaerone[n]s opuscula quaeda[m] Des. Erasmo Roterodamo, Stephano Nigro, Angelo Barbato, Bilibaldo Pirckheymero, & Philippo Melanchthone Brettano, interpretibus.
(Colophon) Basel, Johann Froben, September 1518. 4to. With a woodcut decorated frame on the title page, the first page of the dedication, the first page of the text (A3r), and the first page of the text by Stephanus Niger (H2r), 18 woodcut decorated initials, and a small woodcut illustration incorporating Frobens device. 19th-century richly gold-tooled quarter red morocco. 194, [2] pp. Full description

ERASMUS, Desiderius. Paraphrases in epistolas Pauli, ad Timotheum duas, ad Titum unam, et ad Philemonem unam ... recens ab illo conscriptae, et nunc primum typis excusae...
(Colophon:) Basel, Johann Froben, March 1520.
With: (2) IDEM. Paraphrases in Epistolam Pauli ad Ephesios, Philippenses, et Colossenses, et in duas ad Thessalonicenses, cum epistola nuncupatoria ad ...
(Colophon:) Basel, Johann Froben, March 1520.
(3) IDEM. Modus orandi deum.
(Colophon:) Strasbourg, Johann Knobloch, March 1525.
(4) IDEM. Consilium in caussa evangelica.
[Leipzig, Michael Blum], 1526. 4 works in 1 volume. Small 8vo. With a decorative woodcut border on the title page of each work, a woodcut printer's device at the end of the first 2 works, 9 decorative woodcut borders in the text, 16 decorative woodcut initials, and 4 woodcut headpieces. Later blind-tooled pigskin over bevelled wooden boards, each board in a panel design with a lozenge-shaped ornament and cornerpieces in the central panel, surrounded by a decorative border, 2 metal clasps and catches, the manuscript title at the head edge, a blank paper label on the spine, and 4 pigskin tabs. 141, [3]; 167, [1]; [91], [1 blank]; [14], [2 blank] pp. Full description

ERASMUS, Desiderius Enchiridion oder handbüchlin eins Christenliche[n] und ritterlichen lebens, in latin beschriben durch doctor Erasmu[s] von Roterda[m]. und ... newlich durch Joannem Adelphu[m] doctor und statartzet zu Schaffhusen ... vertütschet.
(Colophon) Basel, Adam Petri, 1520. 4to. With an elaborate woodcut border by Hans Franck on the title page, 5 half-page woodcut illustrations (including 1 repeat) in the text, Petris device by Urs Graf below the colophon, and several large decorated woodcut initials. The text is rubricated throughout. Modern overlapping vellum, grey endpapers. [10], CXIII ll. Full description

ERASMUS, Desiderius. De duplici copia verborum ac rerum commentarii duo.
(Colophon): Mainz, Johannes Schoeffer, August 1521.
With: (2) ERASMUS, Desiderius. Parabolae sive similia.
(Colophon:) Basel, Johannes Froben, July 1521. 2 works in 1 volume. 8vo. Ad 1: with the title in woodcut architectural border with 3 coats of arms, the Isenburg(?) bars and Mainz wagon wheel above left and right, and Schoeffer's device at the foot under his IS-monogram; 6 large, beautiful woodcut initials. Both works set throughout in italic types. With 1 initial coloured by hand. Ad 2: with the title in an elaborate woodcut border, dated "MDXX" at the head, first page of the dedicatory letter by Erasmus to Petrus Aegidius on back of the title page with a border made of woodcut strips, Froben's large woodcut device on the last page, and 2 decorative woodcut initials. German contemporary blind-tooled calf sewn on 3 double cords, in a panel design. Titles in ink written on the spine (partly upside down) and the fore-edge; later paper spine label; 2 holes near the fore-edge of each board from fastenings now lost. [16], 247, [1 blank]; 191, [1] pp. Full description