Poetae Christiani veteres, Venice, Aldo Manuzio, June 1504, seventeenth-century Dutch (?) brown calf

Poetae Christiani veteres. Gregorii episcopi Nazanzeni Carmina ad bene, beateque viuendum vtilissima nuper e graeco in latinum ad verbum fere tralata [!] imprimenda curavimus studiosi adolescentes … Venice: Aldo Manuzio, June 1504

Third volume only. The volume was a gift from Thomas Gechauff, called Venatorius (1488-1551), Nuremberg humanist and Protestant theologian, to Ambrosius Reuter (1497-1564) of Nuremberg, who in later life became successively councilor, city judge, and mayor of Wittenberg, a friend of Luther and guardian of Luther’s children.

4to (195 x 135 mm). Roman and Greek type, 36 lines plus headline. collation: π² A AA^10.8 BB B^8.8 C CC^10.8 DD D^8.8 E EE^10.8 HH H^8.8 I II^10.8 KK K^8.8 L LL^10.8 MM M^8.8 N NN^10.8 OO O^4.4 [P]² : 234 leaves. Early marginalia, woodcut Aldine device on OO O4, manuscript index at end. (Some signatures transposed but complete, scattered foxing and marginal dampstaining, manuscript numeration just shaved.)

binding: Seventeenth-century Dutch (?) brown calf (203 x 150 mm), covers with two frames of gilt fillets, inner frame with floral and acorn cornerpieces, lozenge shaped gilt ornament with floral sprays and acorns at center, spine with raised bands in six compartments, second with gilt-lettered morocco label, others with repeat gilt lozenge, edges dappled red and green, "Dutch" endpapers decoratively patterned in gilt. (Joints cracked, extremities rubbed with some loss to spine, some worming.)

provenance: Thomas Venatorius, presentation inscription to Ambrosius Reytherus at head manuscript index — Ambrosius Reytherus — Johannes Petrus Schäfer, inscription dated 1666 on title. acquisition: Purchased from Georges Heilbrun, Paris, 1975. references: UCLA 84; Renouard 46/4; Edit16 36115; USTC 851458 (set)