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

BARLANDUS, Hadrianus. Hollandiae comitum historia et icones: Cum selectis scholijs ad lectoris lucem. Eiusdem Barlandi Caroli Burgundiae ducis vita. Item Ultraiectensium episcoporum catalogus & res gestae. Eiusdem argumenti libellus Gerardo Noviomago auctore.
Frankfurt am Main, Johann Wechel for Sigmund Feyerabend, 1585.
With: (2) BARLANDUS, Hadrianus. Traiectensium episcoporum catalogus et eorum res gestae.
Frankfurt am Main, Johann Wechel for Sigmund Feyerabend, 1585. 2 parts in 1 volume. 8vo. With a woodcut portrait of Gertrude of Saxony (repeated on p. 25) on the title page, a woodcut printer's device of Feyerabend ("Fama") on the divisional title page of part 2, a variant of his printer's device on the verso of the last page, 37 half-page woodcut portraits (all except the first three with their coats of arms and small ornamental woodcuts underneath), several decorated woodcut initials, and head- and tailpieces. Contemporary overlapping limp vellum, sewn on 3 supports laced through the joints, the manuscript title and author at the head of the spine, and a manuscript shelf mark number at the foot of the spine. [16], "393" [=391], [1 blank]; 109, [1], [2 blank] pp. Full description

[BARNAUD, Nicolas]. Le miroir des Francois, compris en trois livres. contenant l'estat et maniement des affaires de France ... Et generalement tous les secrets qu'on a peu recueillir pour l'ébelissement, & enrichissement du royaume, & soulagement du public. Le tout mis en dialogues par Nicolas De Montand. A la royne regnante.
[Geneva/France?], 1581.
Bound after: (2) [Nicolas BARNAUD], Le cabinet du Roy de France, dans lequel il y a trois perles precieuses d'inestimable valeur: par le moyen desquelles sa maiesté s'en va le premier monarque du monde, et ses suiets du tout soulagez.
[Geneva/France?], 1582. 2 works in 1 volume. 8vo. Ad 1 with some woodcut head- and tailpieces and initials. Ad 2 with a small woodcut initial. Contemporary overlapping vellum. [1], [1 blank], [7], "497" [=495], [1 blank]; [16], 647, [1 blank], [10], [2 blank] pp. Full description

BEAUXAMIS, Thomas. In sacro sancta Coenae mysteria, passionem, et resurrectionem domini nostri Jesu, homeliae, & tabulae, annexis quibusdam scholiis, ex primis ecclesiae patribus. Ad amplissimum, & illustrissimum principem carolum cardinalem Lotharingum.
Mons (Belgium), Claude de Bronchin [printed in Paris by Guillaume Chaudière], 1570. 8vo. With Chaudières woodcut device on the title-page (Chronos, with the motto, "hancas iem sol retundit virtus"), a woodcut headpiece, 2 woodcut tailpieces and 2 woodcut initials (from 2 different series). Limp vellum (ca. 1700?). [6], 321, [1] ll. Full description

[BECH, Philipp (editor)]. De disciplina puerorum, recteque formandis eorum & studiis & moribus ...
Basel, Joannes Oporinus (colophon:) Bern, Samuel Apiarius, March 1556.
With: (2) [MOREL, Guillaume (editor)]. Graecorum veterum selectae brevesque epistolae.
Paris, Guillaume Morel, King's printer for Greek, 1562. 2 works in 1 volume. 8vo. With several woodcut decorated initials, and a woodcut device on the title page. The Greek text set in Claude Garamont's famous Grec du Roi and the Latin translation set in his Aldine-style italic. Richly gold-tooled tanned sheepskin (ca. 1700), each board with a border made from double fillets and a floral roll, diapered with fleurs-de-lis, the spine with a double-fillet border in each of the 6 compartments, the title in the 2nd and the others diapered with smaller fleurs-de-lis, gilt edges. 31, [21]; [16], "840" [= 804] pp. Full description

[BECKET, Thomas à (subject)]. [Diego Afonso de MIRANDA, translator]. Historea da vida e martyrio do glorioso Sancto Thomas Arcebispo, Senhor de Cantuaria, Primas de Inglaterra, legado perpetuo da sancta see apostolica, trelada da novamente de Latim em lingoagé Portugues.
(Colophon: Coimbra, João Alvarez, printer to the University, 12 November) 1554. 4to. With several woodcut decorated initials. With the 4 preliminary leaves in facsimile. 20th-century Portuguese tree calf, gold-tooled spine, red spine label, brown sprinkled edges, marbled endpapers. [8], “CCCI” [= 303], [1 blank], [20] pp. Full description

BELON, Pierre. Les observations de plusieurs singularitez et choses memorables, trouvées en Grece, Asie, Judée, Egypte, Arabie et autres pays estranges.
Paris, Guillaume Cavellat (colophon: printed by Benoist Prévost for Gilles Corozet, Guillaume Cavellat), 1555. 3 parts in 1 volume. 4to. With title in woodcut border with Cavellet's device and initials at the foot, each part-title with Cavellet's woodcut device, 1 folding woodcut map (31.5 x 35 cm) showing Mount Sinai, 44 woodcuts in the text (including a portrait of the author by Geoffroy Tory), and numerous fine decorated initials. Overlapping vellum (ca. 1600?). [12], 212, [1] ll. Full description

BELON, Pierre. Plurimarum singularium & memorabilium rerum in Graecia, Asia, Aegypto, Judaea, Arabia, aliisq. exteris provinciis ab ipso conspectarum observationes, tribus libris expressae.
(2) BELON, Pierre. De neglecta stirpium cultura, atque earum cognitione libellus: edocens qua ratione silvestres arbores cicurari & mitescere queant. Antwerp, Christoffel Plantin, 1589. 2 works in 1 volume. 8vo. With Plantins woodcut compasses device on each title-page, 43 woodcuts in text (6 full-page), woodcut decorated initials. With an unrecorded 2-page corrigenda leaf. Contemporary overlapping limp vellum. [16], 495, [1 blank]; "78" [= 87], [1 blank], [2] pp. Full description

BEROALDO, Filippo. Epigra[m]mata: ac ludicra quedam facilioris muse carmina eruditissimi viro Philippi Beroaldi. Ab Afsefio nuper elucidate et eo ordine difpofita vt maxime fint omnium prima, C Ante domum cuius Martini pendet imag Rocius hec vendit pressa Dionysius.
Parijs, Denis Roce, [ca. 1505]. 4to. With a printer's device on the title-page, and 20 decorated woodcut/ metalcut intitials. Later vellum. [30], [1 blank] ll. Full description

[BERSE, Gaspar, Francis XAVIER et al.]. Epistolae Indicae et Iapanicae de multarum gentium ad Christi fidem, per Societatem Iesu conversione. Item de Tartarorum potentia, moribus, & totius penè Asiae religione. Tertia editio cum indice castigatior & auctior.
Louvain, Rutger Velpius, 1570. 2 parts in 1 volume. 8vo. With general title page and a title page for the second part, both in a frame built up from fleurons, and each part with woodcut publisher's device on last blank and numerous decorated woodcut initials. Including: Epistolae Iapanicae, de multorum in variis insulis gentilium ad Christi sidem conversione.
Contemporary limp sheepskin parchment, traces of ties. [24], 361 [= 316], [20]; 401 [= 399], [25] pp. Full description

BESSON, Jacques. Art et moyen parfaict de tirer huyle et eaux, de tous medicaments simples & oleogineux.
Paris, pour Galiot du Pré, 1573. 8vo. With a woodcut vignette on the title page, 16 woodcut illustrations in the text, and several decorated woodcut initials and woodcut headpieces. Early to mid-19th-century half marbled calf. "31" [= 32] ll. Full description