Dibdin, Thomas Frognall; Spencer, George John [Bearb.]: Bibliotheca Spenceriana: or a descriptive catalogue of the books printed in the fifteenth century, and of many valuable first editions, in the library of George John Earl Spencer (Band 2) (London, 1814) [Cicognara, 4650-2]

Opera; 1470.]

VIRGIL.

465

499. Virgilius. Opera. Printed hy Vindelin de
Spira. Venice. 1470. Folio.

This rare and truly beautiful impression was erroneously considered,
by the author of the Bibliogr. Instruct. vol. iii. n°. 2659, to be the first
edition. Crevenna, from the same authority, draws the same conclusion;
but his description of it, although much more copious and particular
than is that of De Bure, has received the censure of Heyne. ‘ Nuper
iterum multis (are the words of the latter) de hac editione egit
Crevenna, nullo cum fructu ad te, qui indolem libri et usum criticum
volebas resciscere.’ Eclit. Virgil. Lond. 1793, 8vo. vol. i. p. lxxxi. Con-
sult also the Bibl. Crevenn. vol. iii. p. 1S9-192 : edit. 1775. Qn the
recto of the first leaf, without prefix, we read as follows :

ITYRE. TV PATVLAE
recubans sub tegmine fagi
Siluestrem tenui musam
meditaris auena.

N os patrip fines : 8c dulcia llquimus arua.

N os patriam fugimus tu tityre lentus I umbra

F ormosam resonare doces amaryllida siluas.

8cc. 8cc. 8cc.

The Eclogues are without titles, but spaces are left for them. The
beginning of the Xth and last Eclogue is thus :

Xtremum huc aretusa mihi cocede laborem
P auca meo gallo sed qup legat ipse lycoris
C armina sunt disceda : neg*8c quis carmina gallo ?

A full page has 41 lines. The Georgics, as in the preceding edition,
have the four verses of Ovid prefixed. Each book of the iEneid lias
a poetical prefix, as in the previous Roman impression ; but no title.
On the reverse of fol. 161, and last, beneath the two last lines of the
text, we read the following rather quaint colophon:

Progenitus spira formis monumenta maronis
Hpc uindelinus scripsit apud uenetos.

3 o

roL. ii.