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Rare early Paris edition of an influential humanistic educational treatise by a great neo-Latin poet

VEGIO, Maffeo.
De liberorum educatione aurei libri sex noviter recogniti Francisci Philelphi. poete. Oratoris. philosophique prestantissimi. Succincto cum iudice [recté indice]: et brevibus marginariis annotationibus obscurarum sensa dictionum aperientibus. Nicolai Bonespei trecensis campani cura superadditis.
(Colophon: Paris, "apud Gourmontios" [= the brothers Robert, Gilles and Jean de Gourmont], 1508). Small 4to (19 x 13 cm). With numerous printed so-called Lombardic initials, but also with 2 spaces (with guide letters) left for manuscript initials (not filled in). Set in a roman type with the beginning of the title and one heading in a large rotunda gothic type with decorated capitals. Blind-tooled calf (19th century? in a "Medieval" style). CXXVIII, [6] ll.
€ 9,500
Rare fourth edition, in the original Latin (the first dated edition published in France), of an important and influential pedagogical work by Maffeo Vegio (1406/07-1458), who is regarded by many as the finest Latin poet of the fifteenth-century, here edited by Nicolas Dupuy (under the pseudonym Bonaspes) and (as in the second and third editions) incorrectly attributed to Francesco Filelfo. It is Vegio's most important and well-known treatise, discussing the education of children and their moral foundation, composed in six books, each with numerous numbered chapters. The first three books cover the duties of parents and teachers in education; the last three cover the duties of children to God, other people and themselves, as well as the several virtues, good manners, the use of time, etc. "The most Christian in spirit of all humanistic educational treatises" (Catholic encyclopedia), it approves the study of pagan literature only in conjunction with sacred learning, the study of the Scriptures and the Church Fathers, makes provision for the education of girls and considers the formation of a sound moral and Christian character to be the supreme end of education.
The book is set in one of the first and one of the best early "native" Parisian roman types, first used in Paris in 1499 (apparently also cut there), and associated with Wolfgang Hopyl. It was perhaps the first native-Parisian type sold on the open market.
With a Greek or pseudo-Greek inscription in capitals on the title-page, an occasional contemporary manuscript annotation and some underlining. Leaves 101-105 misbound between ll. 98 & 99. Very slightly browned and with a transparent brown stain in the upper outside corner of 4 leaves and smaller ones in a few leaves before and after, but otherwise in very good condition. BMC STC French supp., p. 73; A. Franzoni, L'opera pedagogica di Maffeo Vegio (1907), pp. 93-105, this ed. at pp. 96-97; French vernacular books 90167 (cf. 90168); Moreau I, 1508, no. 71; USTC 143350.
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Book history, education, learning & printing  >  Education & Pedagogy
Early printing & manuscripts  >  History, Law & Philosophy