Sophokles (Sophocles)
The first part finely bound in later full calf in a turn of the century NYC style binding, gilt ruled, five raised bands, paneled red and green leather interior withgmarbled endpapers. Most of the green leather interior and the entire exterior faded to brown, Repair to front marbled endpaper, joints starting, front hinge in particular, and some edgewear but still an attractive example. Unsigned binding. Scattered foxing, heavier in spots, dampstain early on, light finger marks, browning at edges. Contemporary and later marginalia, neatly in Greek. Still, very good overall. (8), 400pp including the blank at O6. Adams S-1445; BM/STC French, p.404; Brunet V, 447 The first part of Turnebe's Sophocles comprising the plays os Sophocles but lacking part 2, the scholia of Triclinius. Described in the Loeb Classics as "the first notable edition of Sophocles" it was based on an imperfect 14th century manuscript edition by Triclinius which he then improved significantly. An important edition in an interesting binding with provenance from the famed Lotos Club of New York. Provenance: George Briar Slater (bookplate), Locos Club (Bookplate) Size: Quarto (4to). Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: Under 1 kilo. Category: Theatre & Plays; Antiquarian & Rare. Inventory No: 048663.
Boutilier, Jean
The first Parisian edition rebound in 19th century full leather. First published in 1479 and written around 1370. Scattered minor finger marks, first page worn and repaired on verso, first few pages modestly browned and stained, last leaves with minor staining; quite clean otherwise. Attractively rubricated copy lacking the 12 and 6 leaf indexes preceding the two parts, but otherwise complete. 208 (of 220) leaves; 86 (of 94) leaves. Light pencil notations figuring out the idiosyncratic date on the final leaf by colophon (which reads mil,cccc,iiii v v.et huit.) Printed in two columns of 38 lines, ca. 11" x 7.5" One of the most important of the coutumier, and the last great example of the form, La somme rurale details the customs and use of French law as it was imposed in the late middle ages. It merges Roman, customary, and feudal law and was cited by Montesquieu and well into the 18th century. The customary law scholar Louis Le Caron edited a much reprinted 17th century edition. Quite rare: six copies of this edition are listed in ISTC, one in the US. Goff B1053, ISTC ib01053000, GW 4969 Size: Folio. Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: 2-3 kilos. Category: Law & Criminal Studies; Antiquarian & Rare. Inventory No: 048664.
Justinianus (Justinian); Accursius (gloss)
Early full stamped pigskin with one clasp missing, a bit of wear at the corners, some discoloration and staining - very sound overall. With the title in red excised and pasted back onto a blank, a few library stamps (NY Bar Association Library), minor worming mostly at the end, printers mark excised from the final index leaf and repaired on the verso, old paper repairs to the margins of the final leaves, obscuring the leaf number on the final leaf, a few stains here and there, but generally clean and a bright, crisp copy overall. Printed in red and black, 270 numbered leaves, 2 binder's blanks at front, 3 at the rear. Printed 1497/8, 15 1/2 x 10 1/3 inches, from 70-82 lines. An attractive copy of Justinian's Infortiatum, the middle section of the Digest, with the gloss by the 13th century scholar Accursius. His glosses occupy a central place in medieval law as they were so copious (almost 100,000 glosses) and in depth that the glosses themselves were sometimes given the force of law. A fine and rare edition, just 11 copies listed in the ISTC (ij00561000), only 4 outside of Germany, and none in the United States. The second edition with the Clarius Summaria, the first was 1491. Size: Folio. Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: 2-3 kilos. Category: Law & Criminal Studies; Incunabula. Inventory No: 045371.
Early blindtooled and rules black calf, modest wear, hinges and joints a little loose, leather a bit dry and cracking in places but binding firm overall and still an attractive example. Old seminary stamp and bookplate, later marbled endpapers and gilding to page edges. Light ruled throughout. Possibly a recased early binding or reemboitage with newer lettering piece, endpapers and gilding; . Index, 663 leaves. The second edition of the 12th century Decretum published by Charlotte Guillard, the first was in 1547. Guillard had run the printing business in Paris after the death of her first husband around 1518 until she was remarried in 1520 to Claude Chevallon wherupon they ran the press together until his death in 1537, whereupon she ran it herself until her death in 1557, printing an estimated 200+ editions on her five or more presses with dozens of employees. Provenance: Bibliotheque Grand Seminaire Nantes (stamp), Our Lady of the Holy Cross Library, Berryville, VA (bookplate) Size: Octavo (8vo). Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: Under 1 kilo. Category: Religion & Theology; Antiquarian & Rare. Inventory No: 048657.