LA NEF DES DAMES. 4to, Without Date. This title is composed of one line, in large lower-case gothic, in black, (just as we see in some of the title pages of Gerard de Leeu) with the rest in four lines, in a smaller gothic letter, printed in red. In this title page is also seen a wood-cut of a ship, with the virgin and child beneath.
This book exhibits a fine specimen of rich gothic type, especially in the larger fount--with which the poetry is printed. There is rather an abundant sprinkling of wood cuts, with marginal annotations. The greater part of the work is in prose, in a grave moral strain. The colophon is a recapitulation of the title, ending thus: "Imprime a Lyon sur le rosne par Iaques arnollet." This is a sound but somewhat soiled copy. In torn parchment binding.
NOVELAS FOR MARIA DE ZAYAS, &c. En Zaragoça, en el Hospital Real, &c. Ano 1637." 4to. These novels are ten in number; some of them containing Spanish poetry. An apparently much enlarged edition appeared in 1729. 4to. "Corregidas y enmendadas en esta ultima impression."
NOVELAS AMOROSAS. Madrid, 1624." 4to. Twelve novels, in prose: 192 leaves. Subjoined in this copy, are the "Heroydas Belicas, y Amoras, &c. En Barcelona, &c. 1622. 4to. The whole of these latter are in three-line stanzas: 109 leaves.
SVCESSOS Y PRODIGOS DE AMOR. En Madrid. 1626. 4to. 166 leaves. At the end: "Orfeo, en lengva Castellana. A la decima Mvsa." By the same author: in four cantos: thirty-one leaves.
EL CAVALLERO CID. "El Cid rvy Diez de Viuar."
The preceding title is over a wood-cut of a man on horseback, trampling upon four human bodies. At bottom: Impresso con licencia en Salamanca, Ano de 1627." 4to.: 103 pages. At the end are, the "Seys Romances del Cid Ruy Diaz de Biuar." The preceding is on A (i). Only four leaves in the whole; quite perfect, and, as I should apprehend, of considerable rarity. This slender tract appears to have been printed at Valladolid por la viuda de Francisco de Cordoua, Ano de 1627." 4to.
FIORIO E BIANCIFIORE. "Impressa, &. ne bologna, Delanno del nostro signore m.cccclxxx. adi. xxiii. di decembre. Laus deo." Folio. Doubtless this must be the Prima Edizione of this long popular romance; and perhaps the present may be a unique copy of it. Caxton, as you may remember, published an English prosaïc version of it in the year 1485; and no copy of that version is known, save the one in the cabinet at St. James's Place. This edition has only eight leaves, and this copy happens unluckily to be in a dreadfully shattered and tender state. At the end:
Finito e il libra del fidelissimo Amore Che portorno insieme Fiorio e Biancifiore
Subjoined to the copy just described is another work, thus entitled: