Sigonio, Orationes septem, Venice, [Paolo Manuzio], 1560, English brown morocco by Charles Lewis

Sigonio, Carlo. Orationes septem Caroli Sigonii. Venice: [Paolo Manuzio], 1560

Seven prolusions, or academic lectures, on Aristotle’s rhetoric, poetics, and Roman history, published at the moment of Sigonio’s departure from his lectureship at the Scuola di San Marco. “Six are dated and the undated one corresponds on internal grounds to 1557-58” (William McCuaig, Carlo Sigonio, 1989, p. 18). The prolusions are reprinted in Sigonio’s Historia de rebus Bononiensibus libri VIII (1604).

4to (220 x 155 mm, uncut). Roman type, 32 lines plus headline. collation: A-N⁴: 52 leaves. Woodcut Aldine device to title- page. (Very light spotting.)

binding: English brown morocco by Charles Lewis (224 x 159 mm) (1786-1836, shop continued by widow until 1854), with his label, two frames of gilt and blind fillets, title in gilt on upper cover, spine gilt, vellum endleaves, deckle edges. (Minor rubbing to spine and joints, very light shelfwear.)

provenance: Robert Stayner Holford (1808-1892) — by descent to Lt. Col. Sir George Lindsay Holford (1860-1926) — Sotheby's London, 5-9 December 1927, lot 18 (part lot, 14 volumes altogether); purchased by — Bernard Quaritch; Catalogue of a most important collection of publications of the Aldine Press, 1494-1595 (London 1929), p. 62; Catalogue 478 (London 1933), item 26 — Alan Noel Latimer Munby (1913-1974), ex libris — Sotheby's London, 5 April 1976, lot 739. acquisition: Purchased at Sotheby's via E.P. Goldschmidt & Co. references: UCLA 619; Renouard 180/8; Edit16 28068; USTC 856330