Book History, Education, Learning & Printing

ASCONIUS PEDANIUS, Quintus. Expositio in IIII orationes M.T. Cic. contra C. Verrem [&c.]
(colophon:) Venice, heirs of Aldo I Manuzio & Andrea Torresano, December 1522. 8vo. With Aldos woodcut anchor and dolphin device on the title-page, repeated on the verso of the last otherwise blank leaf (each with letterpress "AL ... DVS" flanking the device), with spaces (with guide letters) left for manuscript initials, not filled in. Set in Aldos famous italic (with upright capitals), the worlds first italic printing type, first used in 1501 (showing the alphabet a-z and A-N in the register of quires above the colophon). Dark purple sheepskin (ca. 1880?). [12], 283, [1] ll. Full description

[ASSAROTTI, Ottavio Giovanno Battista]. Dottrina Christiana. [Manuscript in Italian].
[Genoa, ca. 1815/20]. 8vo. With 117 (of 118) full-page hand-coloured drawings, each in a frame of double rules (20.5 x 14 cm), with lively illustrations of the Christian doctrine, and text in Italian. Contemporary half calf, gold-tooled spine. 117 (of 118), [3 blank] ll., including the last 3 blanks. Full description

AUBARET, Louis Gabriel Galdéric. Vocabulaire Français-Annamite et Annamite-Français, précédé d'un traité des particules annamites, rédigé par les sions de M. Aubaret lieutenant de Vaisseau, chevalier de la Legion d'honneur.
Bangkok, Thailand, Imprimerie de la mission catholique, 1861. 2 parts in 1 volume. 8vo. Contemporary half-sheepskin, smooth back. [4], XCVI, 157 pp. Full description

[AUCTION CATALOGUES - FICTITIOUS]. Beredeneerde catalogus van een zeer fraaie, capitaale en pragtige inboedel ... byeenverzameld, door den Heere G. R. Zullende ... by exëcutie verkogt worden binnen London, ... in ... May of Juny deezes jaars. Door de makelaers Thomas Brandi, William Roastbeuf en James Punch, ... Derde druk.
Amsterdam, Johannes Geyger, [1781].
With:
(2) Commissie brief van den heere Wilhelmus Batavus, een aanzienlyke Nederlandsche patriot, aan den heere Lambertus Koopmans, commissionair te Londen. Benevens een notitie der commissien, door gemelden heer Batavus gegeeven, op de fraaye capitaale en prachtige inbedoel des heeren G.R.
[The Hague?, 1781].
(3) Catalogus van eene zo ongemeene zeldzaame, als uitmuntende verzameling van manuschripten[!]. ... byeen vergadert door den Lord W. Gordon ...
London [= Amsterdam or The Hague?], sold by Thomas Henly, [1781].
(4) Beredeneerde notitie van 't vorstlyke poppe- en speel-goed, der kinderen van den heere G.R. ...
[Amsterdam?, 1781].
(5) Sleutel of noodige ophelderingen der onlangs uitgekomene catalogus, van een fraaije capitaale en prachtige inboedel ... byeenverzameld, door den heere G.R. ...
Dordrecht, Abraham and Pieter Blussé; Rotterdam, Cornelis van den Dries; etc., [1781].
(6) Beredeneerde catalogus eener verzameling van schilderyen, der eerste meesters van Nederland.
The Hague, Thomas Pietersz. van Os, [1783/1789?].
(7) Beredeneerde catalogus, van eene uitmuntende verzameling schilderyen, door de vermaardste Nederlandsche meesters, uit het Fransch vertaald.
Holland, 1783.
7 fictitious auction catalogues in 1 volume. 8vo. Ad 2: the introductory letter, from "Wilhelmus Batavus" to "Lambertus Koopmans" is dated from The Hague, 15 February 1781. Ad 3: the introductory letter, from Thomas Henly, is dated 2 February 1781. Ad 4: this catalogue presents itself as a second appendix to ad 1. Both the original catalogue and the first appendix describing themselves as catalogues for the sale in May or June 1781. Ad 6: with the supposedly authenticating woodcut on the title-page, showing the coat of arms of William the Silent hanging from a memorial cross. Contemporary half mottled calf, brown spine label with blind-tooled text and with some gold-tooled floral decorations, 20th-century marbled sides and endpapers. [4], 27, [1]; 16; 16; 16; 15, [1]; 32; 37, [2 blank] pp. Full description

AUGUSTINE of Hippo (Saint AUGUSTINE). Explanatio Psalmorum. [Incipit:] Annotatio principaliu[m] sententiariu[m]/ principaliu[m] sente[n]tiariu[m] in expla-natione psamo[rum]...
(Colophon:) Basel, Johann Amerbach, 1489. 3 parts in 1 volume. Folio (ca. 31 x 21.5 cm).
Contemporary blind-tooled pigskin over wooden boards, with 1 brass clasp and remnants of a 2nd. [1 blank], [14], [1 blank]; [146]; [192]; [192], [5 blank] ll. Full description

[AURELIUS, Cornelius]. Die cronycke van Hollandt, Zeelandt en[de] Vrieslant beghinnende va[n] Adams tiden tot die geboerte ons heren Jh[es]u[m] voertgaende tot de[n] jare M.CCCCC. ende Xvij.
Leiden, Jan Seversz., 18 August 1517. Folio. With the title-page printed in red and black with a large woodcut between different woodcut borders, and 239 woodcuts in text, including 121 woodcut portraits. Black blind-tooled goatskin (1637), with gold-tooled title and binding date on side. [2], 436 ll. Full description

BAÏF, Lazare de and [Charles ESTIENNE (editor)]. De re vestiaria libellus, ex Bayfio decerptus: addita vulgaris linguae interpretatione, in adolescentulorum gratiam atq[ue] utilitatem.
Lyon, Sebastian Gryphius, 1539. 4 works in 1 volume. 8vo. With a woodcut printer's device on the title-page and final page of the first 3 works, each work with a decorated woodcut initial. With: (2) IDEM. De vasculis libellus.
Idem.
(3) ESTIENNE, Charles. De re hortensi libellus.
Idem.
(4) SENALUS [= CENEAU], Robert. De vera mensurarum ponderumque ratione.
Paris, Ioannes Roigny, 1535.

Later vellum, with a brown morocco label on the spine with the author and title lettered in gold, red sprinkled edges. 65, [11], [3 blank], [1]; 54, [7], [2 blank], [1]; 97, [15] pp.; [18], 119, [1 blank] ll. Full description

BAÏF, Lazare de and [Charles ESTIENNE (editor)]. De re vestiaria libellus, ex Bayfio excerptus: addita vulgaris linguae interpretatione, in adolescentulorum gratiam atque utilitatem.
Paris, Roberti Stephani [Robert Estienne], (colophon: 13 April) 1541. Small 8vo (ca. 16.5 x 10.5 cm). With a woodcut printer's device on the title-page. Modern blueish-grey paper over boards with the title printed in black on the spine, red sprinkled edges. 68, [11], [1 blank] pp. Full description

BAÏF, Lazare de and [Charles ESTIENNE (editor)]. De vasculis libellus, adulescentulorum causa ex Bayfio decerptus, addita vulgari Latinarum vocum interpretatione.
Paris, Roberti Stephani [Robert Estienne], (colophon: 13 October) 1543. 8vo. With a woodcut printer's device on the title-page. Later blueish-grey paper over boards with the title printed in black on the spine. 52, [3], [1 blank] pp. Full description

BAILLY, Jean-Sylvain. Histoire de l'astronomie ancienne, depuis son origine jusqu'a l'établissement de l'École d'Alexandrie.
Paris, Debure brothers, 1775. 4to. With 3 numbered folding engraved plates. Beautifully bound in contemporary gold-tooled red morocco, each board with coat of arms of Simon-Pierre Merard de Saint-Just in the centre, marbled endpapers. In modern slipcase covered with marbled paper. [2], XXII, 526 pp. Full description