In topica Ciceronis … Oratoriae partitiones — Paris, 1528, 1530

In Topica Ciceronis Anitii Severini Boethii Commentarius (with text). — Parisiis, ex officina Roberti Stephani e regione Scholae Decretorum. M. D. XXVIII. (Colophon:) Excudebat Robertus Stephanus in sua officina, anno M. D. XXVIII. Cal.  Septembr. Bound with:

Cicero 

Oratoriae partitiones. Secunda editio. — Parisiis, ex officina Roberti Stephani e regione Scholae Decretorum. M. D. XXX. (Colophon:) M. D. XXX. VIII. Id. Sept.

Paris, Robert Estienne, 1 Sept. 1528 and 6 Sept. 1530

8vo (163 x 112 mm). In topica: a-p⁸ q¹⁰: 130 leaves. 

Oratoriae p.: a-c⁸ d⁴: 56 pages. The numbers printed in the margin refer to Valla’s commentary published by Estienne in 1528.

Contemporary dark brown blindstamped calf, vellum stubs. Minor repair and rubbing to the binding.

Typography: The photo of the second title-page shows Estienne’s first use of a new Two-line Double Pica Roman, „The size of the biggest Roman is highly unusual: it is the first Roman in typographical history with upper- and lower-case letters on so large a body.“ (Vervliet, Robert Estienne’s Printing Types, 121) 

Text: In a postcript to the reader (123f.), Robertus writes that he had always wished for an old manuscript in order to publish a true text of Boethius‘ commentary. Obviously he was not satisfied with the previously published editions (separate: 1484, 1524, opera: 1497, 1517, 1523). A lucky find had given him access to a manuscript which he believed to contain corrections by Boethius himself. He writes that it is a miracle that it has survived to this day. He had commissioned experts to compare the already printed text with the manuscript, and he printed the improvements they had made in the following nine pages list of corrections. The reader may use this list to improve the text passage in question.

Provenance: First 50 leaves with interlinear and marginal annotations in a contemporary cursiv. Notes on first and rear paste-down, and on flyleaf. Name on paste-down and title: something like Petrus Brolliodus or Bolliodus.

In Topica: ustc 181128 (5 copies). Oratoriae p.: ustc 181214 (1 copy). Renouard 29 no. 12, and 33 no. 6. Both not in Adams and Fred Schreiber’s collection.