Apuleius, Lucius; FIlippo Beroaldo (1453-1505).
Folio. [14 ], 168 leaves. 35 column-wide woodcut vignettes in text, numerous woodcut decorated latters. Signatures: a8 b6 A-EE6. Title in gothic type; main text printed in large roman type, surrounded on three sides by commentary in smaller roman type; marginal notes in small roman type. Index on preliminary leaves. Bound in circa c19 re-used plain vellum, with older manuscript text scraped away, discernable but illegible.Title page guarded on inner margin, with two paper repairs on verso; manuscript notes in contemporary hand on blank verso of b6, albout half washed away and offset onto A1r. Light water stain in early quires. A1 repaired on verso. Interlinear manuscript notes in contemporary hand in first quire only. Burn hole in C4. Paper repair to verso of D3, Woodcut on T1 inked over but clearly visible. Restorations on the lower corners of numerous leaves with slight loss of text in some cases. References: Sander 486; Essling 1324; BM Italian, p.35; Adams A-1375. Just about 150 years into the Common Era, the African writer Apuleis produced one of the greatest novels ever written, a model for Cervantes, Rabelais, Salman Rushdie and Angela Carter. The plot surrounds the fortunes of the unfortunate Lucius, who starts fumbling around with magic spells and accidently gets turned into a donkey. The narrative of Lucius's four-footed travels is interspersed with many other tales, including the familiar myth of Cupid and Psyche. In the end, only the goddess Isis is able to restore Lucius to human form, and only if he joins the mysteries of her cult. The book survived, barely, in manuscript, and was revived in the Renaissance with the commentary of the humanist scholar Filippo Beroaldo, included in this edition of the text, which is only the second printed edition to include illustrations. Very good with faults as described.
Darwin, Charles.
Two volumes; small octavo (175 mm.). [6, blank], vii, [1, blank], 351, [7, blank]; [4, blank], 323, [12, ads] pages. Publisher's brown cloth, boards decoratively ruled in blind, front boards with gilt central "passing the torch" motif, rear boards with this motif in blind, spines lettered in gilt. Untrimmed copy showing light wear and aging. FIRST AMERICAN EDITION of Darwins first published book and his own account of the Beagles voyage which describes his observations that ultimately laid the foundation to the publication of his major scientific work On the Origin of Species. "The voyage of the Beagle has been by far the most important event in my life, and has determined my whole career.I have always felt that I owe to the voyage the first real training or education of my mind; I was led to attend closely to several branches of natural history, and thus my powers of observation were improved" (Life and Letters, 1:61). Darwins Century 81 ("the rare first American edition"); Freeman 16; Sabin 18647.
Twain, Mark (Samuel L. Clemens).
23 cm; 432 pages, including half-tone photo frontispiece. Marginal illustrations in text. In rust brown decorated cloth. Issue point: text block measures 1 1/8 inches (about 3 cm). Small abrasion on lower edge of upper board, owner's name in pencil on pastedown, else about fine. BAL 3442 Kevin MacDonnell wrote in "Firsts Magazine" (1998) "This complex novel . has become accepted in recent years as one of his major statements, and is thematically linked to HUCK FINN. The story begins when a slave woman switches her baby son with the baby infant of her master, and ends when her son murders his uncle and is put on trial where his true identify is revealed. Along the way, Twain explores the philosophy of determinism, and examines the culture of his Mississippi youth: small-town provincialism, miscegenation, the degenerative impact of slavery on master and slave, and parents who fail their children.
