Ragazzoni, In epistolas Ciceronis familiares commentarius, Venice, Paolo Manuzio, 1555, late sixteenth-century French green morocco, arms of Jacques Auguste de Thou

Ragazzoni, Girolamo. Hieronymi Ragazonii In epistolas Ciceronis familiares commentarius: in quo breuissime, quo quaeque earum ordine scripta sit, ex ipsa potissimum historia demonstratur. Venice: Paolo Manuzio, 1555

[Bound with:] Cicero, Marcus Tullius. Marci Tullii Ciceronis Philippicae, et orationes pro Fonteio pro Flacco in Pisonem … à Gabriele Faerno emendatae una cum euisdem annotationibus. Rome: Vincenzo Luchino, 1563

Two important sixteenth-century editions of Cicero’s works: Ragazzoni’s critical commentary on Cicero’s Epistulae ad Familiares is bound with the Philippics, edited by Gabriel Faerno and published to the usual the high editorial standards of the Luchino press, showcasing Faerno’s emendations and annotations.

The present copy belonged to Jacques Auguste de Thou (1553–1617), with subsequent ownership by Jean-Jacques Charron, marquis de Ménars, and the Rohan-Soubise family with their pressmarks.

2 works in one vol, 8vo (150 x 98 mm). Italic type, 28 lines plus headline. collation: (Ragazzoni) *⁸ **⁴ A-L⁸: 100 leaves; (Cicero) A^{8 2}A-K⁸ L⁶ M-Q⁸ R⁴ S-Z⁸ A-K⁸: 188 leaves plus 80 leaves misbound at end. Ragazzoni with woodcut Aldine device to title-page and verso of last leaf and Cicero with printer's device to title-page and guide letters in initial spaces. (A few leaves uncut, occasional very light toning.)

binding: Late sixteenth-century French green (now mostly brown) morocco (155 x 104 mm), arms of Jacques Auguste de Thou as a bachelor, ciphers in compartments except for three occupied by titles, edges plain gilt. (Upper hinge exposed, joints a little cracked, restoration to spine.)

provenance: Jacques Auguste de Thou (1553-1617), supralibros, his arms as a bachelor on covers, cipher on spine — presumably Pierre Dupuy, Catalogus bibliothecae Thuanae, Paris, 7 April 1680, II, p. 316 — Jean-Jacques Charron, marquis de Ménars (1643-1718); purchased by — Armand Gaston Maximilien, Cardinal, prince de Rohan (1674-1749) — Charles de Rohan, prince de Soubise (1715-1787), pressmark "3.3.M.125.7" on cover and "3.C.P.T.3.M.125.7" on upper pastedown — Rev. J.W. Platt, Reach, Cambridgeshire (?) — Puttick & Simpson, London, 25-26 November 1919, lot 356; purchased by — Bernard Quaritch, London; Catalogue 386 (London 1929), item 550 — Charles J. Sawyer; Catalogue 231 (London 1955), item 45 — Maggs Bros, London; Catalogue 859 (London 1958), item 98 — Swann Galleries, New York, 5 January 1978, lot 6 — Edwin Wolf, 2^nd (1911-1991), initials "EWZ" on endleaf. acquisition: Purchased from Family Album, Glen Rock, 1995. references: (1) UCLA 491; Renouard 165/7; Edit16 28003; USTC 851834 (2) Edit16 14622; USTC 822416