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

[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.
Antwerp, Christoffel Plantin, 1589.
With:
(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 Plantin's 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

BÈZE, Théodore de. Psalmorum Davidis et aliorum prophetarum. Libri quinque. Argumentis et Latina paraphrasi illustrati, ac etiam vario carminum genere Latinè expressi.
Geneva, [Eustache Vignon or Henry II Estienne], 1579. 8vo. With a woodcut title border, numerous decorative woodcut initials, woodcut head- and tailpieces. Modern blind-tooled calf. [16], "715" [=709], [3] pp. Full description

[BIBLE - DUTCH]. Biblia. Dat is, de gantsche H. Schrift, grondelick ende trouwelick verduytschet.
Delft, Bruyn Harmansz. Schinckel (colophon: printed by Aelbrecht Heyndricksz.), 1590. 4 parts in 1 volume. 4to (23.5 x 17.5 cm). With a general title page and three part-titles, each with the same woodcut device in a separate elaborately decorated cartouche, 3 engraved folding maps drawn by Petrus Plancius and executed by Baptista van Doetecum and ca. 20 woodcut illustrations in the text. Contemporary gold panel-stamped and gold-tooled calf over wooden boards, with spectacular finely engraved silver furnishings: 8 corner pieces, 2 clasps, 2 catch plates and 2 anchor plates, the catch and anchor plates with four female virtues; the corner pieces engraved with winged heads that appear to represent the four compass winds; and each clasp with an oval martyrdom scene flanked by birds, all 14 pieces of silverwork with floral and other decoration and with their edges cut to decorative shapes. Each board has the same central rectangular panel-stamp (98 x 61 mm), with an oval scene of Charity or Love/Caritas, with strapwork decoration around the oval (containing the maker's initials B and H) and inside the rectangle; gilt and elaborately gauffered edges. Rebacked in gold-tooled calf. [20], 236; 92; 84; 108, [54] ll. Full description

[BIBLE - DUTCH - VULGATE]. Biblia sacra. Dat is de geheele heylighe schrifture bedeylt int out ende nieu Testament ...
Antwerp, (colophon: printed by Daniel Vervliet and Hendrik Swingen for) Jan I Moretus & Jan I van Keerberghen, 1599. 2 volumes bound as 1. Folio. With an engraved title page (coloured by a contemporary hand with extensive use of gold) showing Moses on the left, David on the right, and the four evangelists below, and 90 woodcuts in the text of both the Old and the New Testament, all except one vividly coloured by a contemporary hand. Contemporary richly blind-tooled calf over wooden boards, sewn on 5 supports, with brass catchplates, remnants of leather strap fastenings, brass corner pieces on all corners and a brass centrepiece on each board, all with brass bosses. [4], 410; [106] ll. Full description

[BIBLE]. ESTIENNE, Robert (editor). Biblia breves in eadem annotationes, ex doctis ...
Including:
- Hebraica, Chaldaea, Graecáque & Latina nomina virorum ...
- Index rerum et sentiarum quae in Veteris & novi testamenti libris continentur.
Paris, Roberti Stephani [= Robert Estienne], 1532. 4 parts in 1 volume. Folio. With Estienne's large olive-tree device on the general title page and the divisional titles of parts 3 (interpretatio) and 4 (index), a woodcut decorative border around the word "Biblia" on the general title page, and 79 decorated metalcut (criblé) initials. Modern gold-tooled brown calf, with the title lettered in gold on the spine, red sprinkled edges. [10], 388; 94; 37; 57, [1], [1 blank] ll. Full description