Nonnus Panopolitanus, Metabole tou kata Ioannen Euangeliou, Venice, Aldo Manuzio, [ca. 1501], eighteenth-century English tan calf

Nonnus Panopolitanus. Nonnou Poietou Panopolitou Metabole tou kata Ioannen Agiou Euangeliou [Greek]. Venice: Aldo Manuzio, [ca. 1501]

[Bound after:] Orthodox Eastern Church. Diuina missa sancti Ioannis Chrysostomi. Venice: Giovanni Antonio Nicolini da Sabbio & brothers for Demetrios Zenos & Menandros Noukios, August 1528

[And:] Orthodox Eastern Church. Hai Theiai Leitourgeiai. Tou hagiou Ioannov tou Chrysostomou, basileiou tou megalou, kai he ton proegiasmenon, germanov archiepiskopou Kostantinovpoleos, historia ekklesiastike kai mystike theoria [Greek]. Rome: Demetrios Doukas, October 1526

First edition in Greek of the Gospel of John, printed by Aldo in 1501 (as noted in vol. 3 of the Poetae Christiani veteres: cf. Renouard 46, 4). Aldo had apparently intended it to be accompanied by a Latin translation as the fourth volume of the Poetae Christiani veteres (cf. Aldo Manuzio tipografo 1494-1515, 53). These sheets were all that were printed. They thus have no title or preliminary leaves. Copies are extremely rare, especially outside Italy; Renouard speculated that the sheets were often overlooked and discarded.

This copy from the library of the Dukes of Devonshire is bound with the first edition of the Liturgy of the Orthodox Church. The itinerant Greek scholar Demetrios Doukas (c. 1480-c. 1527) had collaborated with Aldo in editing the first volume of the Rhetores graeci in 1508 and Plutarch’s Moralia (1509). He later traveled to Spain, having been commissioned by Cardinal Jiménez to help edit the Complutensian Polyglot; he served as professor of Greek at the newly established university of Alcalá and supervised the printing of the first Greek books published in Spain. In about 1520 he returned to Italy, now to Rome, where he set up his own Greek press. But he was only able to print two books, of which this was the first, before the sack of Rome put an end to his activities (and possibly to him). This copy is from the first issue, without the October 28 privilege of Clement VII, at end.

Three volumes in one volume, 4to (189 x 122 mm). (1) Liturgy, 1528: Roman and Greek types. collation: A-L⁴: 44 leaves. Printed in red and black, Latin and Greek texts on facing pages, full-page woodcut of St. John, woodcut initials (Roman and Greek). (2) Liturgy, 1526: Greek type, 32 lines. collation: Α-Σ⁴: 72 leaves. Red and black printing, two woodcut arabesque headpieces, extending part way down text on either side to enclose the text heading, arabesque initials. (3) Nonnus Panopolitanus: Greek type, 36 lines plus headline. collation: ααα- ζζζ⁸ ηηη⁴ (lacking final blank): 51 (of 52) unnumbered leaves. Spaces with guide letters. (Marginal foxing.)

binding: Eighteenth-century English tan calf (195 x 133 mm), gilt fillets around sides, gilt roll on edges of covers, gilt inner border, marbled endleaves, marbled edges. (Rebacked with Devonshire arms on spine.)

provenance: Early inscription in Greek washed off title of Divina Missa — Devonshire family library (Chatsworth), armorial supralibros; James Philip Lacaita, Catalogue of the library at Chatsworth (London 1879), III, p. 125 — Edward William Spencer Cavendish, 10^th Duke of Devonshire (1895-1950), his sale, Christie's London, 24 February 1982, lot 556 (£1,296). acquisition: Purchased at Christie's via Martin Breslauer Inc. references: (1) Liturgy 1528: Edit16 12036; USTC 819874; Adams L-838; Legrand, Bibliographie hellénique ou description raisonnée des ouvrages publiés par des Grecs au XVe et XVIe siècles (Paris 1885-1906), I, p. 191-195, no. 76; (2) Liturgy 1526: Edit16 12035; USTC 819881; Adams L-837; Mortimer Italian 253; Legrand, Bibliographie hellénique XVe et XVIe siècles (Paris 1885-1906), I, p. 202, no. 80; On Doukas see also Geanakoplos, Greek Scholars in Venice (Cambridge, MA, 1962), pp. 223-255; (3) Nonnus Panopolitanus: UCLA 49 (incorrect collation); Renouard 261/12; Edit16 36109; USTC 844898; Adams B-1896