DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.30698#0124
, 108
ITALIAN BOOKS. [Nicolo di Lorenzoy
The reverse is blanlc. Both these sonnets are extracted by Fossi,
but. Crevenna has contented himself with the last; observing upon the
extremely inaccurate manner in which this latter is printed in the
Bibliogr. lnstruct. of De Bure, vol. iii. p. 618, 6T9. In the Cat. de
Crevenn. vol. iv. p. 3-6 (edit. 1775) there is a eorrect account of this
impression, and a very lively and smart attack upon Voltaire for his
superficial knowledge and judgment of Italian poetry, Crevenna’s
copy, as well as the one in the Magliabechi collection, was large and
illuminated. Fossinotices the curious mention of Mahomet, (and of his
elevation to the cardinalship—according to De Bure) by the commen-
tator, as proofs of Benvenuto’s warm attachment to the Roman Catholic
religion: see the Bibl. Magliabech. vol. i. col. 588-591. The present
may be called a fine and desirable copy; in green morocco binding.
814. Dante. La Commedia. Col Commento di
Christqphoro Landino. PrintedhyNicolo theSon
of Lorenzo} of Germany. Florence. 1481. Folio.
We are about to describe a volume of very considerable interest
among the collectors both of books and of prints. To begin, bibliogra-
phically, we may remark that this costly and magnificent work presents
us with tlie first impression of the Commentary of Landino, upon
the Divina Commedia of Dante. The printer of it was Nicolo di Lorenzo
della. Magna, or Nicolo Todescho; who published the Geography of
Berlinghieri, as noticed at p. 64 ante. Whoever examines the larger
type of this work with that of the one just mentioned, will find a
perfect conformity between them : the printer having designated him-
self by both of the foregoing names. Bibliograpliers have perhaps
spoken a little too warmly in commendation of the typographical
execution: the page is full, and the letter, of either form, is rather
clumsily worked ; but where copies have an amplitude of margin, like
the one before us, tliere is a better proportion and considerable elegance
of effect. What may be the splendor of the copy of it upon vellum,
so minutely described by Fossi (and somewhat strangely omitted to be
noticed by Panzer and Brunet), it were perhaps difficult to conceive:
or, rather, as most would imagine, what must have been the superior
attractions of that copy which was enriched by the drawings and
illuminations of Michel Angelo Buonaroti*—but which unfortu-
nately perished at sea ? !
* See the nole in Audiffredi’s Edit. Ital. p. 288.
ITALIAN BOOKS. [Nicolo di Lorenzoy
The reverse is blanlc. Both these sonnets are extracted by Fossi,
but. Crevenna has contented himself with the last; observing upon the
extremely inaccurate manner in which this latter is printed in the
Bibliogr. lnstruct. of De Bure, vol. iii. p. 618, 6T9. In the Cat. de
Crevenn. vol. iv. p. 3-6 (edit. 1775) there is a eorrect account of this
impression, and a very lively and smart attack upon Voltaire for his
superficial knowledge and judgment of Italian poetry, Crevenna’s
copy, as well as the one in the Magliabechi collection, was large and
illuminated. Fossinotices the curious mention of Mahomet, (and of his
elevation to the cardinalship—according to De Bure) by the commen-
tator, as proofs of Benvenuto’s warm attachment to the Roman Catholic
religion: see the Bibl. Magliabech. vol. i. col. 588-591. The present
may be called a fine and desirable copy; in green morocco binding.
814. Dante. La Commedia. Col Commento di
Christqphoro Landino. PrintedhyNicolo theSon
of Lorenzo} of Germany. Florence. 1481. Folio.
We are about to describe a volume of very considerable interest
among the collectors both of books and of prints. To begin, bibliogra-
phically, we may remark that this costly and magnificent work presents
us with tlie first impression of the Commentary of Landino, upon
the Divina Commedia of Dante. The printer of it was Nicolo di Lorenzo
della. Magna, or Nicolo Todescho; who published the Geography of
Berlinghieri, as noticed at p. 64 ante. Whoever examines the larger
type of this work with that of the one just mentioned, will find a
perfect conformity between them : the printer having designated him-
self by both of the foregoing names. Bibliograpliers have perhaps
spoken a little too warmly in commendation of the typographical
execution: the page is full, and the letter, of either form, is rather
clumsily worked ; but where copies have an amplitude of margin, like
the one before us, tliere is a better proportion and considerable elegance
of effect. What may be the splendor of the copy of it upon vellum,
so minutely described by Fossi (and somewhat strangely omitted to be
noticed by Panzer and Brunet), it were perhaps difficult to conceive:
or, rather, as most would imagine, what must have been the superior
attractions of that copy which was enriched by the drawings and
illuminations of Michel Angelo Buonaroti*—but which unfortu-
nately perished at sea ? !
* See the nole in Audiffredi’s Edit. Ital. p. 288.