Livius, Titus

HISTORIAE ROMANAE DECADES

      Venezia Vindelinus de Spira 1470 Bound in two volumes. First dated edition of Titus Livius's Decades, probably only the third after those printed in 1469 ca., by Sweynheym and Pannartz and, in 1470, by Ulrich Han now virtually unobtainable and severely expensive. Book I with later gold letter white-vine and colored decoration; initials to books II and III in gold, the remainder in brown. Large folio (mm. 397x279), fine red morocco gilt by Kalthoeber, gilt title and decorations on spine. (1/1 blank, 1/2r dedicatory epistle of the editor to the Pope Paolo II, 1/4r Summary, 3/1r Preface to the Decade I, 17/8 blank, 18/1r Incipit Decade III, 31/10v blank, 32/1r Incipit Decade IV, 42/13v colophon, 42/14 blank); 418 of 421 leaves, lacking initial 3 blanks only. A fine copy, generously margined; expertly filled ancient wormholes at the first leaves of volume I and at the end of volume II, some small stains or spotting; a few contemporary manuscript corrections. Engraved bookplates of Charles Lemuel Nichols and Giannalisa Feltrinelli. VERY RARE AND HIGHLY IMPORTANT. This is one of the first books printed by Vindelinus himself, without the help of his brother John who introduced the art of printing in Venice in 1469 which was also the year of his premature death. The extraordinary Roman type used by the Spira's brothers for this edition would become the model of the printers to come. Indeed, Nicholas Jensen would take this type as a model for the edition of his first book, the Eusebius, in 1470.