Early Printing & Manuscripts (15th & 16th Century)

MARBODE of Rennes. De gemmarum lapidumq[ue] pretiosorum formis, naturis, atq[ue] viribus eruditu[m] cu[m] primis opusculu[m], ... scholiis q[uo]q[ue] illustratu[m] p[er] Alardu[m] Aemstelredamu[m].
Cologne, Hero Alopecius [Fuchs], 1539. 8vo. With a woodcut illustration on the title page, representing a Jewish priest behind a board with the names of 12 stones which represent the 12 tribes of Israel. 17th-century gold-tooled red morocco, richly gold-tooled spine with green morocco title-label, gold-tooled fillets and small cornerpieces on both boards, gold-tooled board edges and turn-ins, gilt edges, marbled endpapers. 124, [2] ll. Full description

MARCELLUS EMPIRICUS. De medicamentis Empiricis physicis ac rationalibus liber.
Basel, Froben, 1536. With a woodcut caduceus device on title-page and several woodcut initials. Set in roman types.
With: (2) [THORER, Alban]. [De re medica].
(Colophon: Basel, Andreas Cratander, 1528). With the first leaf of the main text in a 4-piece woodcut border (3 initalled I.F.), Cratander's woodcut device on the last otherwise blank leaf, showing Occasio, the goddess of chance, and dozens of charming woodcut initials. Set in roman types. 2 works in 1 volume. Small folio (30 x 22 cm). 20th-century half parchment. 252, [12]; 125, [1] ll. Full description

[MARCHE, Olivier de La] and Hernando de ACUÑA (translator). El cavallero determinado, traduzido de lengua Francesa en Castellana por Don Hernando Acuña.
Antwerp, Officina Plantiniana (the widow of Plantin, Jeanne Rivière and Jean Moretus), 1591. 8vo. With an etched vignette on the title page, 20 full-page etchings, a full-page printer's device at the end, decorated woodcut initials, and woodcut tailpieces. Late 18th- or early 19th-century diced and blind-tooled red morocco, with the title and author lettered in gold on the spine, with an almond shaped ornament in the center of both boards, surrounded by two fillet frames, blind tooled board edges and turn-ins, marbled end papers. [32], 208, [5], [3 blank] pp. Full description

[MARNIX VAN SINT ALDEGONDE, Philips van]. Binenkorb dess Heyl. Römischen Imenschwarms, seiner Hummelszellen (oder Himmelszellen) Hurnausnäster,Brämen- geschwürm und Wäspengestöss. Sampt Läuterung der H. Römischen Kirchen Honigwaben; Einweihung und Beräuchung oder Segfeurung der Imenstöck: und Erlesung der Bussenblumen, des heydnischen Klosterhysops, der Suiter Säudisteln, der saurbonischen Säubonen, dess Magisnostrischen Liripipesenchets, und dess Imenplatts der Plakimen: auch dess Messthaues und H Saffts von Wunderbäumen, &c. Alles nach dem rechten Himelstau oder Manna justirt, und mit Mentzerkletten durchzirt.
Christlingen [= Strassbourg], Ursino Gottgewin [= Bernard Jobin], 1580. Small 8vo. The title-page, with the woodcut illustration of a beehive, is printed in red and black, the same woodcut repeated in the text, and a devotional woodcut by T. Stimmer in the text. 19th century half vellum. 246, [18] ll. Full description

[MARTIAL d'Auvergne]. LIII. arrests d'amours. Arresta amorum. Accuratissimis Benedicti Curtii Symphoriani commentariis ad utrusque iuris rationem, forensiumque actionum usum quàm acutissimè accommodata. Le tout diligemment reveu & corrigé en une infinité d'endroits outre les precedentes impressions.
Rouen, Thomas Mallard, 1587. 16mo. With title within an ornamental woodcut border. 19th-century gold-tooled red sheepskin. 899 [=897], [58], [1 blank] pp. Full description

MARTIALIS, Marcus Valerius. [Epigrammata].
(Colophon: Venice, Aldus Manutius, December 1501). 8vo (16 x 10 cm). With 15 (mostly 6-line) spaces with printed guide letters left for manuscript initials. Except for an occasional word in Greek, the book is set entirely in the world's first italic printing type (with small upright capitals, which are also used, usually letterspaced, for running heads, headings, the opening line of each liber, etc.). Francesco Griffo cut it for Aldus, who uses it here 8 months after he introduced it in his Virgil. Tanned sheepskin (ca. 1700?), gold-tooled spine and board edges. [381], [3 blank] pp. Full description

MARTIN, Cornelis and Pieter BALTEN (illustrator and publisher). Les genealogies et anciennes descentes des Forestiers et Comtes de Flandre, avec brieves descriptions de leurs vies et gestes le tout recueilly des plus veritables, approvees et anciennes croniques et annales qui se trouvent...
Antwerp, (colophon: Andre Bax for) Pierre Balthasar (also known as Pieter Balten), [1580]. Folio. With an engraved title-page, a full-page engraved plate with the dedication, a full-page engraved plate showing the coats-of-arms of the Foresters of Flanders and the counts of Flanders and a map of Flanders, a full-page engraving showing verse below an allegorical scene of death, 40 full-page engraved portraits of the Foresters and Counts of Flanders, 30 small coats-of-arms in the text, and numerous woodcut decorated initials. All illustrations (except for the initials) are expertly coloured by hand. Contemporary parchment, sewn on 4 supports laced through the joints, with remnants of green closing ties. [6], 119, [2], [1 blank] pp. Full description

MASAWAIH AL-MARDINI (MESUE the younger). Opus quibuslibet aromatariis: necessariu[m]. Mesue in vulgare rescripto. Primo che se rechercha allarte della aromataria como se conosseno le medicine simplice & composte li quattro canone p[er] arte in vulgare declarate alla antidotario: li dubie al configere qlle resolute.
[Napels or Venice, ca. 1500?]. 4to (14.5 x 19.8 cm). Half calf over marbled boards [ca. 1900], gold-tooled spine, gold-tooled red spine label, red sprinkled edges. [34] ll. Full description

MASAWAIH AL-MARDINI (MESUE the younger). De re medica libri tres. Jacobo Sylvio medico interprete. Cum annotationibus & scholiis eiusdem. Index locupletissimus cum capitum, tum omnium quae scitu digna sunt operi praefixus est.
"Paris" [= Venice], [Girolamo Scotto], 1553. 8vo. With Scottos woodcut device on the title page (showing what are probably two of the wild mares of King Abderus being devoured by the mares of King Diomedes of Thrace devouring either Abderos or Diomedes himself) and about 22 woodcut decorated (nearly all pictorial) initials (7 series) plus a few repeats. Contemporary vellum, traces of ties. 248, [4] ll. Full description

MASAWAIH AL-MARDINI (MESUE the younger). Opera. De medicamentorum purgantium delectu, castigatione, & usu, libri duo ...
Venice, Lucantonio Giunta, 1581. 2 parts in 1 volume. Folio (23 x 34 cm). With 39 woodcut illustrations in the text. Near-contemporary vellum, black morocco spine label with title in gold. [8], 272; [6], 277, [1 blank], [12] ll. Full description