Aristophanes [sold]
Κωμῳδίαι ἐννέα. Comoediae novem — Paris 1528
Κωμῳδίαι ἐννέα. Comoediae novem. — Paris, Pierre Vidoue, for Gilles de Gourmont, 1528.
4to (194 x 140 mm). (292) leaves. Upper right corner of first fly-leaf restored. A copy with ample margins: aaa3, ccc3, AAA3&4, III3 showing deckle edges. Contemporary blindstamped pigskin over wooden boards.
Provenance: Joh. Jacobi Zur Linden…, 17th century ink inscription at head of title; Joseph von Laßberg (1770-1855) and bibliographical note to front free endpaper. Laßberg’s library, 11.000 printed books, 263 manuscripts, was sold to the Fürstlich Fürstenbergische Hofbibliothek in Donaueschingen; shelf mark at foot of spine and inner pastedown of the Hofbibliothek Donaueschingen; exlibris Livio Ambrogio on pastedown.
Each of the nine parts with Geofroy Tory’s illustrated title-page; 4 parts with Gilles des Gourmont’s device at the end. Mortimer, French 16th Century Books no. 38: „… elaborate Gourmont title-page, on which the publisher’s armorial devices assume an importance equal to …“. See A. Bernard, Geofroy Tory, 256f., 347, passim, and Silvestre 83 and 826.
The colophon reads: Ἐτυπώθη ἐν λευκετία παῤῥησίων, ἀναλώμασιν ἐγιδίου γορμοντίου [Gilles de Gourmont, the publisher] διὰ παραινέσεως καὶ ἐπιμελείας ἰωάνου χραδάμου [Jean Chéradame, the editor], πόνῳ δε καὶ δεξιόθητι πέτρου οὐιδουαίου [Pierre Vidoue, the printer] … αφκη, dated in different months of the year. It seems that printing started in winter 1527. There a separate dedicatees to each of the comedies. The signatures show, like the dating of course, the chronology of printing of the individually purchasable parts: a, aa, aaa, A, AA, AAA, Aa, Aaa, AaA.
Plutus: a-g4: (28) ff. Colophon on recto, device on verso of g4. Dated: μαιμακτηρίων ιθ = 19. Nov. Dedicatee: Ιωάννης Κληρικός/John Clerk (1482-1541), English bishop, served under Cardinal Wolsey
Nebulae: aa-gg4 h6: (34) ff. Dedicatee: Τωμὰς Οὐιντήρος/Thomas Wynter, illegitimate son of Wolsey
Ranae: aaa-iii4: (36) ff. Colophon on iii3 verso, device on verso of iiii4. ποσειδώνιων ιε = 15. Dez. Dedicatee: Πέτρος Δανησίος/Pierre Danés (1497-1574), first professor of Greek at the Collège Royal
Equites: A-H4: (32) ff. Colophon on recto, device on verso of H4. ποσειδώνιων κζ = 27. Dez. Dedicatee: Ιωάννης Βιολλείος/Jean Biollay
Acharnes: AA-GG4: (28) ff. Colophon on GG4 verso. ποσειδώνιων λ = 30. Dez. Dedicatee: Ιωά-ννης Ταρτάοσος/Jean Tartassus
Vespae: AAA-III4: (36) ff. Colophon on III3 verso, III4 blank. γαμηλιών κθ = 29. Jan. Dedicatee: Ἀνθονίος Λαπιθέος/Antoine Lapithe, French humanist, brother of Stephanus L.
Aves: Aa-Ai4 KK4: (40) ff. Dedicatee: Νικόλεος Βηράλδος/Nicolaus Berauld (1473-1550), French humanist, editor of Politianus, Philelphus, Theophylactus and more, held lectures in Paris on Cicero, Aristotle, Quintilian etc.
Pax: Aaa-Fff4 Ggg6: (30) ff. Colophon on Ggg6 verso. ἐλαφηβολιών κθ = 29. März. Dedicatee: Ιοωάννης Ρουηλλίος/Jean Ruell (1474-1537), French physisican, botanist, author of De natura stirpium, collector of manuscripts and books.
Concionantes: AaA-GgG4: (28) ff. Colophon on GgG3 verso, device on GgG4 verso. ἐλαφηβολιών λ = 30. März. Dedicatee: Γουιλλέλμος Κουίνος/?Guillaume Cuin?