Beschreibung:

HIERONYMUS (St., c.342-420). Epistolare . Edited by Adrianus Brielis (d.1472). Mainz: Peter Schoeffer, 7 September 1470. PRINTED ON VELLUM. Imperial 2° (460 x 321mm). Collation: volume I: [1 4 2-5 1 0 6 8(7+1) 7-19 1 0 20 8 21 6(5+1)] (1/1 Introductio, register, 1/4v blank, 2-6 Distinctiones I-II, 7-12 Distinctio III, 13-16 Distinctio IV(i), 16/10v blank, 17-21 Distinctiones IV(ii)-V, 21/6v blank); volume II: [22-24 1 0 25 6(5+1) 26-28 1 0 29 8 30 6 31 4(3+1) 32-34 1 0 35 1 2(7+1) 36-42 1 0 43 1 0(9+1)] (22-25 Distinctio VI, 25/6v blank, 26-31 Distinctiones VII-XI, 31/4v blank, 32-39 Distinctio XII(i), 40-43 Distinctio XII(ii)). 408 leaves; 35 leaves supplied from two other copies, presumably at time of binding by Derome (see note on decoration). 56 lines, double column. Type: 5:118G. Red-printed rubric headings (except in quire 2, where the headings are supplied in a contemporary hand in red ink), colophon and Fust-Schoeffer device printed in red on final page. DECORATION: Three copies may be distinguished, based on differences in decoration: 1) the majority of the sheets belong to one copy, which has been decorated by a contemporary south Netherlandish artist. Two Distinctio initials (Distinctiones XI, XII) have fine, historiated miniatures. Remaining Distinctio initials are in pink or blue with white patterning on a gold ground, floral and foliate infill of the ground in pink, blue and white, leafy extensions. The epistle initials are in interlocking gold and blue with flourished penwork extensions in red and purple ink. Small initials and paragraph marks alternate in red or blue. 2) 27 leaves (2/1-2, 3/5.6, 4/1.10, 7/4.7, 15/1.10, 21/1.6, 22/1, 23/1.10, 24/5.6, 29/2.7, 34/5.6, 43/3-8) with illuminated initial opening Distinctio VI (volume II), headline initial in red or blue, yellow capital strokes. First leaf of text (2/1r) illuminated with large, historiated initial depicting St. Jerome in his study, smaller foliate initial and full baguette border. The copy from which these leaves derive (see Provenance) was decorated by a contemporary French artist. The historiated initial was added at Paris about 1500-1510, and the smaller initial and border decoration on the same leaf was added at about the same time by a different French artist working in an archaic style in imitation of other French illumination in the volume, such as the initial opening vol. II. 3) Leaves 2/3-10 have contemporary Flemish or German decoration: the epistle initials in gold on blue and magenta ground with white patterning, painted over lombard initials in red, red capital strokes. BINDING: green morocco gilt, triple fillets around sides, spine in 8 compartments, lettered in second and third compartments, roll-tooled turn-ins, pink silk endpapers, pink silk ribbon markers, gilt edges, by Nicolas-Denis Derome le jeune (d.1788), with his ticket on first leaf, giving the address at 65 rue St. Jacques. (Extremities very lightly scuffed, lower cover of volume II stained.) Modern tan morocco slipcases. PROVENANCE: stamp erased from first leaf; Charles duc de Rohan, Prince de Soubise (sale January 1789, no.902, 1000 livres: 'Rare et préférée à la première'); Count Justin MacCarthy-Reagh (sale, pt.I, Paris, 1815, lot 536, 1200FF; and cf. Van Praet Vélins du roi I, no. 377 citing this copy as a 'superbe exempl. avec de belles miniatures et des initiales peintes en or et en couleurs'); Prince Michel Galitzin (1804-1860, Catalogue des Livres de la Bibliothèque du Prince Michel Galitzin , Moscow: 1865, no.956, stating that, owing to Count MacCarthy's addition of leaves, 'un des plus parfaits exemplaires connus'); Sir Robert Abdy (April 26 1976, lot 171); anonymous sale, Claude Guérin and Dominique Courvoisier, experts, Paris, 21 June 1985, lot 65). THE SOUBISE-MACCARTHY-GALITZIN-ABDY COPY OF THE FIRST EDITION OF THE ENLARGED RECENSION of the letters and tractates of St. Jerome. The previous four editions had contained between 70 and 130 letters. In the pre