Olympiodorus Alexandrinus, Meteora Aristotelis commentarii, Venice, Sons of Aldo Manuzio for Federico Torresano, 1551, seventeenth-century French red morocco

Olympiodorus Alexandrinus. Olympiodori philosophi Alexandrini In Meteora Aristotelis commentarii. Ioannis Grammatici Philoponi Scholia in primum Meteorum Aristotelis. Venice: Sons of Aldo Manuzio for Federico Torresano, 1551

The Colbert-Drury-Powis copy.

The Latin translations by Giovanni Battista Camozzi of the commentary on Aristotle’s Meteora by Olympiodorus and the Scholia in I meteorum Aristotelis, by Joannes Philoponus. During the academic year 1549-1550 Camozzi was professor of rhetoric at the university of Bologna and he dedicates this volume to Filippo Carlo Ghisileri, appointed Senatore di Bologna in 1550.

The Greek text was printed by the Aldine press the same year in an edition uniform with this translation, and the two volumes are generally regarded as a set.

Part 2 (of two) only, folio (304 x 200 mm). Roman type, 53 lines plus headline. collation: π⁴ A-Y⁶ Z⁸: 144 leaves. Woodcut Aldine device on title-page and final verso, woodcut historiated initials. (Stray spotting.)

binding: Seventeenth-century French red morocco (310 x 215 mm), covers with triple gilt fillet borders, spine with raised bands in seven compartments, second gilt-lettered, others with gilt rules, gilt floral roll on edges, edges speckled red and brown, marbled pastedowns. (Restoration to joints.)

provenance: Contemporary marginalia — Jean-Baptiste Colbert, marquis de Seignelay (1619-1683), inscription "Bibliothecae Colbertinae," by Étienne Baluze? on title-page — thence by descent to Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1651-1690), eldest son — Jacques-Nicolas Colbert (1655-1707), Archbishop of Rouen — Abbé Charles Eléonor Colbert (1689-1747), the former's nephew — Gabriel Martin, Bibliotheca Colbertina, seu, Catalogus librorum bibliothecae, Paris, 24 May 1728, lot 3093 (part) — Henry Joseph Thomas Drury (1778-1841), inscription — R.H. Evans, A catalogue of the extensive and valuable library of the Rev. Henry Drury, M.A., London, 19 February-23 March 1827, lot 3239 — Henry G. Bohn, purchased in previous sale (£1 3s) — Edward Clive Herbert, 2^nd Earl Powis (1785-1848) — A Catalogue of books printed by Aldus Manutius and his successors 1495-1597 in the possession of Lord Viscount Clive London 1825 (London, British Library, Add Ms 54176, f.52: "Olympiodorus Camotio interprete. Vol. 2") — Edward Robert Henry Herbert, 5^th Earl Powis (1889-1974), his sale, Sotheby's London, 16-18 January 1956, lot 332 — "Vaughan" (nom de vente of Georges Heilbrun, Paris), purchased in previous sale (£10) — Georges Heilbrun, Catalogue 37 (Paris [1972]), item 259 (FF 1200). acquisition: Purchased from Georges Heilbrun, Paris, 1973. references: UCLA 412; Renouard 151/6; Edit16 47146; USTC 845366