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 3) (London, 1814) [Cicognara, 4650-3]

38

GRAMMARS AND LEXICONS. \Venice; 1471.

with a very interesting epistle of Laurentius Valla to Tortellius, in
which the former expatiates so largely upon the merits and virtues of
the then reigning pontiff, Nicolas V., that more than one half, or the
whole of the second and third pages of it, is devoted to an enuinera-
tion of his excellences. I present the reader with its prefix, and two
extracts from it; which may serve to shew the degree of intimacy of
Tortellius with the Pontiff, as well as the zeal with which Valla describes
his worth, and the readiness which he evinces to do every justice to
liis memory.

LAVRENTII VALLENSIS VIRI CLARISSIMI ET
DE LINGVA LATINA BENEMERENTIS AD IOAN
NEM TORTELLIVM ARETINVM: CVI OPVS E-
LEGANTIARVM LINGVAE LATINAE DEDICAT
EPISTOLA

Quo magis 8c spero 8c opto libros hos abs te in summi ponti-
ficis bibliotheca repositum iri: te que curaturu ut ille cuius
contubernalis es 8c studiorum intimus comes nonnunquam
eos euoluat: 8c quem ad modum de parte iam fecit totu
opus laudet: eximium profecto ac maximum laboris mei
fructum ac premium. 8cc.

Diuina nimirum in eo est Igenii celeritas ac uis. Iam uero de
litteris: quotiens nobis cum alioue quo eruditopost ssuctus
occupationum loquitur ? Taceo qua jpnuciandi maiestate 8c
gratia: quanta memoria: quatarea? copia: quantadoctrinaru
olumperitiaeluceatuel humanafe: ut historicm: utoratoriae:
ut gramaticae: utphilosophicae: utpoeticae: etia metricae:
uel diuinarum : ut theologiae: 8cc.

-Quam ego opifex tibi

ob singulare eruditionem: summa beniuolentiam: maxima
in me merita dicaui imaginem Nicolai sumi pontisicis mea