DONATUS, Aelius (mid 4th century). Commentum in Terentii comoedias . [Strassburg: R-Press type 1 (Johann Mentelin and/or Adolf Rusch), c.1473]. Chancery 2° (287 x 212mm). Collation: [1 8 2-3 1 0 4-5 6; 6-9 8 10 6 11-12 8 13-15 1 0; 16 8 17-19 1 0 20 8 21 1 0; 22-23 8 24 1 0 25-26 6 27-29 8 30 1 0] (1/1 blank, 1/2r life of Terence, prologue, commentary on Andria, 5/6v blank, 6/1r on Phormi and Eunuchus, 16/1r on Adelphi, 22/1r Enchira, 30/9v-10 blank). 251 (of 252, without first blank) leaves. 35 lines; spaces for Greek, some printed guide-letters. Type: 1:103R. 3- to 6-line brown penwork initials with red infill, title written by rubricator on 1/2r, sporadic red punctuation strokes, occasional contemporary marginal annotation. Two sets of pinholes visible at centre of extreme upper and lower margins, some contemporary quiring preserved. (Occasional light browning.) 19th-century German marbled paper boards, paper spine label, early leather index tabs (rubbed, some wear at spine). THIRD EDITION of this important commentary on the comedies of Terence. It and similar volumes of commentaries on the works of Virgil and Valerius Maximus issued by the same press were undoubtedly intended as companion volumes to editions of those authors printed by Mentelin c.1470. They are 'almost the only contribution of the Strassburg presses to the spread of the new learning before ... the concluding years of the century' (Scholderer, 'Adolf Rusch and the Earliest Roman Type', The Library , 4th ser., 20, 1939-40, pp.43-50). From 1476 the commentary commonly was printed around the text of Terence. The work as originally written by the 4th-century grammarian and tutor to St. Jerome has been lost, leaving this later adaptation of commentary on five of the six plays. The earliest editions (as here) print a recension with lacunae at Hecyra III 5,8 - V 1-3. The present edition reprints that of Vindelin de Spira at Venice, c.1472, omitting the final couplet naming the printer. Variant collation in quires 17 and 18 as GW Anm. 2. The type with its distinctive R had previously been considered the first roman type, but since its earliest verifiable date has been revised to 1473 other roman founts in Italy and German take precedence. A LARGE, FRESH COPY. H *6382; GW 9037; BMC I, 61 (IB. 634); BSB-Ink. D-278; Goff D-354.
DONATUS, Aelius (mid 4th century). Commentum in Terentii comoedias . [Strassburg: R-Press type 1 (Johann Mentelin and/or Adolf Rusch), c.1473]. Chancery 2° (287 x 212mm). Collation: [1 8 2-3 1 0 4-5 6; 6-9 8 10 6 11-12 8 13-15 1 0; 16 8 17-19 1 0 20 8 21 1 0; 22-23 8 24 1 0 25-26 6 27-29 8 30 1 0] (1/1 blank, 1/2r life of Terence, prologue, commentary on Andria, 5/6v blank, 6/1r on Phormi and Eunuchus, 16/1r on Adelphi, 22/1r Enchira, 30/9v-10 blank). 251 (of 252, without first blank) leaves. 35 lines; spaces for Greek, some printed guide-letters. Type: 1:103R. 3- to 6-line brown penwork initials with red infill, title written by rubricator on 1/2r, sporadic red punctuation strokes, occasional contemporary marginal annotation. Two sets of pinholes visible at centre of extreme upper and lower margins, some contemporary quiring preserved. (Occasional light browning.) 19th-century German marbled paper boards, paper spine label, early leather index tabs (rubbed, some wear at spine). THIRD EDITION of this important commentary on the comedies of Terence. It and similar volumes of commentaries on the works of Virgil and Valerius Maximus issued by the same press were undoubtedly intended as companion volumes to editions of those authors printed by Mentelin c.1470. They are 'almost the only contribution of the Strassburg presses to the spread of the new learning before ... the concluding years of the century' (Scholderer, 'Adolf Rusch and the Earliest Roman Type', The Library , 4th ser., 20, 1939-40, pp.43-50). From 1476 the commentary commonly was printed around the text of Terence. The work as originally written by the 4th-century grammarian and tutor to St. Jerome has been lost, leaving this later adaptation of commentary on five of the six plays. The earliest editions (as here) print a recension with lacunae at Hecyra III 5,8 - V 1-3. The present edition reprints that of Vindelin de Spira at Venice, c.1472, omitting the final couplet naming the printer. Variant collation in quires 17 and 18 as GW Anm. 2. The type with its distinctive R had previously been considered the first roman type, but since its earliest verifiable date has been revised to 1473 other roman founts in Italy and German take precedence. A LARGE, FRESH COPY. H *6382; GW 9037; BMC I, 61 (IB. 634); BSB-Ink. D-278; Goff D-354.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
