Monte Sancto di Dio. 1477. Folio. The chief value of this book consists in its having good impressions of the THREE COPPER PLATES. Of these, only one is in the present copy, which represents the Devil eating his victims in the lake of Avernus, as given in the La Valliere copy. Yet the absence of the two remaining plates, as it happens, constitutes the chief attraction of this copy; for they are here supplied by two FAC-SIMILES, presented to the Library by Leopold Duke of Tuscany, of the most wonderfully perfect execution I ever saw.
Petrarcha. Sonetti e Trionfi. Printed by V. de Spira. 1470. Folio. Prima Edizione. The last leaf of the table is unluckily manuscript; and the last leaf but one of the text is smaller than the rest--which appear to have been obtained, from another copy. In other respects, this is a large, sound, and desirable copy. It belonged to Prince Eugene.
Petrarcha. Sonetti e Trionfi. Printed by Zarotus. 1473. Folio. This edition (if the present copy of it be perfect) has no prefix of table or biographical memorandum of Petrarch. A full page contains forty, and sometimes forty-two lines. On the recto of the last leaf is the colophon. This is a sound and clean, but apparently cropt copy; in old blue morocco binding.
Petrarcha Sonetti e Trionfi. Printed by Jenson. 1473. Folio. A sound and desirable copy, in red morocco binding; formerly belonging to Prince Eugene.
----. Comment. Borstii in Trionfi. Printed at Bologna. 1475. Folio. Here are two copies of this beautifully printed, and by no means common, book. One of them belonged to Prince Eugene; and a glance upon the top corner ms. pagination evidently proves it to have been cropt. It is in red morocco binding. The other copy, bound in blue morocco, has the table inlaid; and is desirable--although inferior to the preceding.
Poggio. Historia Fiorentina. Printed by I. de Rossi. (Jacobus Rubeus) 1476. Folio. First edition of the Italian version. This copy is really a great curiosity., The first seven books are printed upon paper of a fine tone and texture, and the leaves are absolutely uncut: a few leaves at the beginning are soiled--especially the first; but the remainder are in delightful preservation, and shew what an old book ought to be. The eighth book is entirely printed UPON VELLUM; and some of these vellum leaves are perfectly enchanting. They are of the same size with the paper, and also uncut. This volume has never been bound. I entreated M. Bartsch to have it handsomely bound, but not to touch the fore edges. He consented readily.
Regula Confitendi Peccata Sua. 1473. Quarto. Of this book I never saw another copy. The author is PICENUS, and the work is written throughout in the Italian language. There are but seven leaves--executed in a letter which resembles the typographical productions of Bologna and Mantua.
GERMAN, FRENCH, AND SPANISH BOOKS.
Bone Vie (Livre De); qui est appelee Madenie. Printed by A. Neyret at Chambery. 1485. Folio. As far as signature 1 vj, the subject is prose: afterwards commences the poetry--"appelle la somme de la vision Iehan du pin." The colophon is on the reverse of the last leaf but one. A wood-cut is on the last leaf. This small folio volume is printed in a tall, close, and inelegant gothic type; reminding me much of the LIVRE DE CHASSE printed at the same place, in 1486, and now in Lord Spencer's library.[130]