VALERIUS MAXIMUS

Facta et dicta memorabilia [in the French translation of Simon de Hesdin and Nicolas de Gonesse]. Lyon, Mathias Huss, "23 June"

      9 fine half-page woodcuts (c. 170 x 165mm.) one at the beginning of each book; large printer's device on verso of penultimate leaf (Polain 44).Large folio. (335 x 240mm.) 308ff. (of 312 - lacks a1(title-page), bifolium G1&G8 (replaced with repeated bifolium G2&G7), and blank final leaf (S8); 3 other blanks present). 56 lines and headline. Late 17th/early 18th century mottled calf (expertly rebacked, corners and lower cover restored). 1489. Extremely rare third edition of the French translation of Valerius Maximus and the second to be illustrated. Huss's first illustrated edition was published in 1485 and this is a reprint of that edition with the same woodcuts and with the error of imposition in the table of contents of book viii corrected. The translation was begun by Simon de Hesdin in 1375, for Charles V, and completed by Nicholas de Gonesse at the request of Jaquemin Courau, treasurer of Jean, duc de Berry, and finished 1401. It was popularly produced as a luxury illuminated manuscript in the 15th century and the first edition of 1475-77 (Southern Netherlands, Printer of Flavius Josephus) left a space of half a page at the beginning of each book for the insertion of a miniature. Examples from the incunable editions of the French translation (a fourth edition was published by Verard in 1499) are scarce with only a very few copies located in institutional collections (see ISTC) or found on the market. The only copy that we can trace on ABPC-online of any of these editions is the Bute copy (part two only, 152ff.) of the 1489 printing sold at auction in 1995.Sadly our copy lacks the title-page and the bifolium G1&G8 is replaced by the repeated bifolium G2&G7, an error which must have taken place in the printer's shop.Provenance. Manuscript notes in a near contemporary French hand on ff 11-13, 159, 168 and 312. 18th/19th century bibliographical notes inside front cover. Ownership stamp on f. a2 of "C.P. Carey".A few small holes to f. a2, mostly marginal, a little dampstained in places, especially towards the end with final leaf frayed at edges, otherwise a fine, well-margined and unwashed copy.BMC VIII, p. 263 (imperfect - wanting ff. 109-16, quire, and last blank). CR 5933. Pr 8563. IGI 10077. Goff V45. ISTC (locates: France - 3 copies; United Kingdom & U.S.A - 2 copies each; Germany, Italy & Netherlands - 1 copy)