Beschreibung:

Cicero, Marcus Tullius. Epistolae familiares M.T. Ciceronis collatae cum optimis quibusque exemplaribus, multisque in locis emendatae. Paris: Simon de Colines, 1540
Five bindings lettered with the motto “Tu tibi ipse sis fortuna” are known. They cover books printed at Paris by Simon de Colines in 1540 or 1541: a three-volume set of Ovid’s Opera, Martial’s epigrams, and this volume of Cicero’s letters to friends. All five volumes are in sextodecimo format, and as they were harmoniously bound in the same shop, they might be remnants of a travelling library.
A similar motto (Tu tibi sis ipse fortuna) is associated with the family Le Clerc de Franconville (Île-de-France). At this time, the seigneury was held by Nicolas Le Clerc (d. 1563), Conseiller du Roi au parlement de Paris, and a scholar. Nicolas gave lodgings in his house to the young Denis Lambin (1519–1572), and his heirs made a posthumous gift to Lambin of a manuscript of Cicero from Nicolas’s library (the gift is acknowledged by Lambin in his edition of Cicero [Paris, 1566]). Suggestions that the motto relates to the seigneury of Franconville-au-Bois (Saint-Martin-du-Tertre), held successively by the Le Baveux and d’O families (until 1769), cannot be substantiated.
Previous descriptions of the “Tu tibi ipse sis fortuna” bindings have drawn attention to a similar design with solid tools executed by Claude de Picques for Jean Grolier (1522, Asconius; no. 38), and to a binding by Claude de Picques for Grolier perhaps employing the same tools to form the central cartouche (1520, Velleius Paterculus; no. 71).
Bindings Decorated with this Motto
(1) Marcus Tullius Cicero, Marci Tulli Ciceronis Epistolae familiares … collatae cum optimis quibusque exemplaribus, multisque in locis emendatae (Paris: Simon de Colines, 1540). Supralibros, motto “Tu tibi ipse sis fortuna” on lower cover (unidentified). The volume offered here. 
(2–4) Publius Ovidius Naso, [Opera, in three volumes] (Paris: Simon de Colines, 1541). Supralibros, motto “Tu tibi ipse sis fortuna” on lower cover (unidentified). — Baron Roger Portalis (1841–1912; Maurice Delestre & Adolphe Labitte, Catalogue de livres rares et précieux, provenant du cabinet de M. P***, Paris, 4 February 1878, lot 54 (“3 vol. in-16”); afterwards separated:
(a) Publius Ovidius Naso, Fastorum Lib. VI. Tristium Lib. V. De Ponto Lib. IIII (Paris: Simon de Colines, 1541). Nicolas Rauch, Geneva (Catalogue 4: Très beaux livres [Geneva, 1952], item 164) — Raphaël Esmerian (1903–1976; Antoine & Étienne Ader, Jean-Louis Picard, Jacques Tajan & Claude Guérin with Georges Blaizot, Paris, 6 June 1972, lot 96), purchased by — unidentified owner (FF 6000) — Gérard Emmanuel Marie Copin de Miribel (b. 1921; Ader Tajan & Claude Guérin with Dominique Courvoisier, Paris, 4 June 1993, lot 95), purchased by — unidentified owner (FF 30,000).
(b) Publius Ovidius Naso, P. Ovidii Nasonis metamorphoseon liber primus (Paris: Simon de Colines 1541). Alfred J. (1883–1954) & Paulette Adler (1898–1992) — Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Rés. 8-Z Adler 199 (1).
(c) Publius Ovidius Naso, P. Ovidii Nasonis amatoria. Heroidum epistolae (Paris: Simon de Colines, 1541). Inscription “Goguel” [Goguet?; see Martialis below] (unidentified) — Alfred J. (1883–1954) & Paulette Adler (1898–1992) — Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Rés 8-Z Adler-199 (2).
(5) Marcus Valerius Martialis, Epigrammatom libri 14 summa diligentia castigati (Paris: Simon de Colines, 1540). Supralibros, motto “Tu tibi ipse sis fortuna” on lower cover (unidentified). — Inscription “G. Mazuriel”, possibly Grégoire Mazuriel (b. 1665, Epinay sur Orge) — Inscription “Goguet” (see Ovidius, Metamorphoses, above) — Joseph-Louis Léopold, baron Double (1812–1881; Boulouze & J. Techener, Paris, 24–27 March 1863, lot 367), purchased by — Horatio William Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford (1813–1894 [F 340]; Sotheby’s London, 14 March 1902, lot 136 & Pl.), purchase by — Sotheran, London (£101) — Clarence S. Bement (1843–1923; American Art Association, New York, 28 February–2 March 1923, lot 162), purchased by — unidentified owner ($420) — Laurin Guilloux Buffetaud & Dominique Courvoisier with Thierry Bodin, Paris, 5 June 2002, lot 117), purchased by — unidentified owner (€6600) — Librairie Lardanchet, Paris (Beaux livres anciens et modernes [2002], item 2; Livres et documents anciens [Paris 2009], item 2.
16mo (112 x 72 mm). Roman type, 35 lines plus headline. collation: a–z8 &8 A–I8: 264 leaves. Colines woodcut satyr device on title-page, woodcut criblé initials.
binding: Contemporary Parisian black goatskin (116 x 80 mm), likely by Jean Picard (the Salel [formerly Fontainebleau] binder has also been suggested) interlaced rectangle and lozenge of double gilt fillets, gilt fleurons at outer angles of rectangle together with an extended leafy tool, 2 stars in outer border, in center a leafy cartouche with “M. T. CIC. // EPISTOLAE.” on upper cover and “TV TIBI IPSE // SIS FORTV//NA” on lower, traces of 2 pairs of fabric ties, spine with 4 full and 2 half bands, compartments decorated with a small leafy tool, gilt edges. (Extremities rubbed with minor repair to corners and tiny chip to head of spine.
provenance: Supralibros, motto “Tu tibi ipse fortuna” on lower cover (unidentified) — “De Breüilly, 1659” (inscription on upper endleaf) ● Laure Eugénie (née Pillet) Belin (René Boisgirard & Louis Giraud-Badin with Charles Bosse, Paris, 19–20 February 1936, lot 38), purchased by — unidentified owner (FF 700) — Renaud-Giquello & Dominique Courvoisier with Emmanuel de Broglie, Paris, 8 February 2006, lot 56), purchased by —unidentified owner (€4100). acquisition: Purchased from Hugues de Latude, Paris, 2011. 
references: BP16 109671 (locating University of Chicago Library only); FB 61452; USTC 186337; P. Renouard, ICP V: 1652.