BEROALDUS, PH.

One of the most beautiful written Latin schoolbooks for children at the end of the Middle Ages Libellus quo Septem Sapientum Sentensiae Discutiuntur.

      Bologna, Benedict Hector, 1502, Die X Octobris.. 4to. Modern half vellum. With large white on black woodcut printer's device at the end. (24) lvs.. Rare second Bologna-edition, first published by Benedict Hector in 1498, of one of the most beautiful written Latin schoolbooks for children at the turn of the 15th century. Philippe Beroaldo, the Elder (1453-1505), a celebrated Italian literary author, opened a school at Bologna when only 19 years old. He taught at Parma and Milan, and later at the Paris University, where he inspired French youth for classical literature. He was recalled to Bologna and offered the chair in literature at the Bologna Uninversity, where he remained until his death. He edited a large number of classical authors, which made him famous throughout Europe, but the present attractively composed schoolbook received no less fame, being published in the early 16th century at Paris, Deventer, Basel, etc. In comprehensive and entertaining stories the children are taught at the hand of the proverbs and sayings of Seven Wise Men. In the colophon the title reads: "Heptalogos sive Septem Sapientes". The book is well produced too, printed in a clear and regular Roman type, including abbrevation-marks, and similar Greek types for quotations, with legenda in a slightly larger Roman type in the margins, all initials left blanc, with guide-letters. Fine large-paper copy. STC Italian 89; cf. Adams B 770 (Paris-edition of 1505); Buisson p. 61 (Bologna-edition of 1498, followed by a Paris-edition of 1509); NUC lists two copies.