Tim Bryars Ltd

Justinus and Cornelius Nepos: Trogi Pompei Externae Historiae in Compendium ab Iustinio Redactae., Externorum imperatorim vitae Aemylio Probo.  Venetiis [Venice] In Aedibus Aldi et Andreae Asulani Soceri, Mense Ian. 1522

Book, 8vo. ff. 204. With Aldine anchor on the title and on the final leaf. Very small wormhole to first four leaves, affecting letters of text, patched on the title, and affecting the headline on the final leaf. A few small stains at intervals, particularly on c8. Occasional early marginalia, faded out. Eighteenth-century vellum, gilt, monogram on the covers, somewhat soiled, upper joint renewed using old vellum, olive morocco lettering piece. Gauffered edges. From the Duke of Grafton’s library, with his armorial bookplate annotated with the amount which the book realised at the sale of his books in June 1815 (£1.13.0).

Renouard describes this edition is being most rare (‘fort rare’), and as being much more correct than the fifteenth-century editions which preceded it. Dibdin agrees, describing it as ‘a very rare and correct edition’. The second work, the lives of the emperors, is by Cornelius Nepos, although until the end of the century it was commonly misattributed to the fourth-century writer Aemilius Probus. Trogus Pompeius was a freed slave of the triumvir Pompey, who wrote a universal history in forty four books at the end of the first century BC. Justinus picked out the memorable sayings and anecdotes, which was more in tune with contemporary taste, and the orginal work vanished., Renouard p.96 (1522, No. 9)

£1500

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