DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.30696#0159
jBrescia [1473.]
LUCRETIUS.
149
299. Lucretius. Printed hy Ferandus. Brescia.
Without Fate; hut prohahly not later than
1473. Folio.
Editio Princeps. The extraordinary rarity and worth of this first
impression of the text of Lueretius, are now generally known to
the curious in classical literature. There is perhaps no scareer book
in this collection tlian the present one: nor is there another library
in the kingdom which contains a copy of it. It is not known to exist
in France ; and Brunet, without having seen it, and without referring
to any cabfnet for a copy of it, conceives its pecuniary value to be from
1200 to 1500 francs ! a sum, very much indeed below its worth.
Boni and Gamba were, I believe, the first. bibliographers who made
mention of this very uncommon book : see their Biblioteca Portatile •
pt. ii. p. 28. The account of it there is sufficiently brief; but the
former, in his Lettere sui primi libri a stampa cli alcune cittci e terre dell'
Italia Superiore, Venez. 1794, p. lxxx. has given a fuller descrip-
tion of it; yet not with that attention to literal accuracy which is
so requisite in bibliographical works. Ue has even committed an
error in copying the first word of the text. We may make one
other preliminary remark ; which is, that Audiffredi, Panzer, Harles,
La Serna Santander, and Brunet, all owe their several notices
to Boni and Gamba : see the Eclit. Ital. p. 420 ; Annal. Typog. vol. iv.
p. 255-6, 263 ; Suppl. Notit. Lit. Rom. vol. i. p. 149; Dict. Bibliogr.
Choisi, vol. iii. p. 124; and Manuel du Libraire, vol. ii. p. 71-
On the recto of the first. leaf, the text begins thus :
T. lucretii cari de reru natura liber primus
a Enaeadu genitrix hominu diuuq; uoluptas
Alma uenus ; cseli subter labentia signa
Quae mare nauigeru quae terras frugiferetis
Cocelebras ; p te quonia genus one animatu
Concipitur, uisitq; exortum lumina solis
Te dea te fugiunt uenti., te nubila caeli*
8cc. 8cc. 8cc.
* The reader is presented witli the following Various Readings in the first 21 verses
of the first book, from tlie editions here subjoined, The entire text has been collated
LUCRETIUS.
149
299. Lucretius. Printed hy Ferandus. Brescia.
Without Fate; hut prohahly not later than
1473. Folio.
Editio Princeps. The extraordinary rarity and worth of this first
impression of the text of Lueretius, are now generally known to
the curious in classical literature. There is perhaps no scareer book
in this collection tlian the present one: nor is there another library
in the kingdom which contains a copy of it. It is not known to exist
in France ; and Brunet, without having seen it, and without referring
to any cabfnet for a copy of it, conceives its pecuniary value to be from
1200 to 1500 francs ! a sum, very much indeed below its worth.
Boni and Gamba were, I believe, the first. bibliographers who made
mention of this very uncommon book : see their Biblioteca Portatile •
pt. ii. p. 28. The account of it there is sufficiently brief; but the
former, in his Lettere sui primi libri a stampa cli alcune cittci e terre dell'
Italia Superiore, Venez. 1794, p. lxxx. has given a fuller descrip-
tion of it; yet not with that attention to literal accuracy which is
so requisite in bibliographical works. Ue has even committed an
error in copying the first word of the text. We may make one
other preliminary remark ; which is, that Audiffredi, Panzer, Harles,
La Serna Santander, and Brunet, all owe their several notices
to Boni and Gamba : see the Eclit. Ital. p. 420 ; Annal. Typog. vol. iv.
p. 255-6, 263 ; Suppl. Notit. Lit. Rom. vol. i. p. 149; Dict. Bibliogr.
Choisi, vol. iii. p. 124; and Manuel du Libraire, vol. ii. p. 71-
On the recto of the first. leaf, the text begins thus :
T. lucretii cari de reru natura liber primus
a Enaeadu genitrix hominu diuuq; uoluptas
Alma uenus ; cseli subter labentia signa
Quae mare nauigeru quae terras frugiferetis
Cocelebras ; p te quonia genus one animatu
Concipitur, uisitq; exortum lumina solis
Te dea te fugiunt uenti., te nubila caeli*
8cc. 8cc. 8cc.
* The reader is presented witli the following Various Readings in the first 21 verses
of the first book, from tlie editions here subjoined, The entire text has been collated