TITLE PAGE, VENICE EDITION, 1503
From the Blasius Lancilotus edition, printed by Johannes de Cereto de Tridino alias Tacuinus, Venice, 1503. This is the second dated edition of Apicius, resembling very closely the undated edition and also the Milan edition, printed by Signerre 1498, the first to bear a date. Same size as the original. This is a first timid attempt at giving a book a title page. Most books printed before this date have no title pages.
On the last page of our copy are the two poems mentioned in the 1490 Milan edition (No. [2]) “Antonius mota ad uulgus” (4 distichs) and “Iohannes salandi Lectori” (5 distichs). The verso of this page is blank. The dedication, on the verso of title page, is likewise by Blasius Lancilotus. It appears that this edition is closely related to No. [2].
Vicaire, 30; unknown to Georg-Drexel and Pennell.
In the collection of the author.
NO. 5, A.D. 1541, BASEL
Cælii Apitii || svmmi advlatricis medi || cinæ artificis De Re Cvlinaria Libri X. re || cens è tenebris eruti & à mendis uindicati, || typisque svmma diligentia || excusi. || Præterea, || P. Platinæ Cremo || nensis viri undecvnqve do || ctissimi, De tuenda ualetudine, Natura rerum, & Popinæ || scientia Libri x. ad imitationem C. Api || tii ad unguem facti. || Ad hæc, || Pavli Æginetæ De || Facvltatibus Alimentorvm Tra || ctatvs, Albano Torino || Interprete. || Cum indice copiosissimo. || Basileæ || M.D.XLI. [in fine] Basileæ, Mense Martio, Anno M D X L I.
4to, old calf, 16 pp., containing title, dedication and index, not numbered but signed in Greek letters. The body of the work commences with p. 1, finishing with p. 366, the sheets are signed first in small Roman letters a-z and numbers 1-3 and then in capital letters A-Z, likewise numbered 1-3. The titles of the books or chapters, on verso of the title page, under the heading of “Katalogos et Epigraphè Decem Voluminum De Re Popinali C. Apitii” are both in Greek and Roman characters. German names and quotations are in Gothic type (black letter). The book is well printed, in the style of the Froschauer or Oporinus press, but bears no printer’s name or device.
The Apicius treatise is concluded on p. 110, and is followed by “Appendicvla De Conditvris Variis ex Ioanne Damasceno, Albano Torino Paraphraste,” not mentioned on the title. This treatise extends from p. 110 to p. 117, comprising fourteen recipes for “condimenta” and “conditvræ”; these are followed on the same page by “De Facvltatibvs Alimentorvm Ex Pavlo Ægineta, Albano Torino Interprete” which book is concluded on p. 139; but with hardly any interruption nor with any very conspicuous title on this page there follows the work of Platina: “P. [sic] Platinæ Cremonensis, viri vndecvnqve doctissimi, De tuenda ualetudine Natura rerum, & Popinæ scientia, ad amplissimum D.D.B. Rouerellam S. Clementis presbyterum, Cardinalem, Liber I.” The ten books of Platina are concluded on p. 366; the type gracefully tapering down with the words: “P. [sic] Platinæ libri decimi et vltimi Finis” and the date, as mentioned. The last page blank.