Cicero, Marcus Tullius

De officiis [and other works]

      Bernardinus Rizus, Novariensis & Bernardinus Celerius, Venetiis [Venice]:: Bernardinus Rizus, Novariensis & Bernardinus Celerius,, 12 Oct. 1484.. Full modern walnut calf old style: Spine with raised bands, accented with gilt and blind rules, the latter extending onto covers to terminate in trefoils with blind double fillets beyond. Gilt center devices in the spine compartments. Red leather spine label lettered in gilt, and date in gilt at base of spine. Lacking two leaves (b4-5). Upper corners of leaves in gatherings & and [con] damaged with loss of paper. Lower corner of i1 torn with loss of text of both sides of leaf. Waterstaining and old dampstaining variously, this often faint and never really worse than moderate (worst at beginning/end); some age-toning and dustsoiling. = Though an imperfect copy, a rarity; indeed, with its manuscript enhancements, a "uniquum.. Folio. [180 of 182] ff., lacking b4-5. . Reprinted from the de Tortis edition of March 1484, this edition includes the author's De officiis, De amicitia (Laelius), De senectute (Cato maior), and Paradoxa, and the the commentaries of Petrus Marsus, Omnibonus Leonicenus, and Martinus Phileticus.#11; The volume is printed in roman throughout, with guide letters in the spaces for capitals (unaccomplished); Cicero's text is printed in a large point size and is surrounded on three sides by commentary in a smaller one. The register and printer's device are found on the recto of the last leaf.#11; The recto of leaf a1 is blank, the text of the prefatory matter beginning on the verso.#11; Evidence of readership: This copy bears marginalia and inter-linear writing in an early hand on many, many pages to approximately the middle of the volume and then lessening. Extensive notes appear on the blank pages a1r (in Latin, 16th-century hand) and [con]8v (in English, 17th-century hand). The word "comparatia" appears in the same early hand at the top of many of the pages with inter-linear writing and/or marginalia.#11; Provenance: Signature of "John Webb" in a 17th-century hand twice in margin of k3r.#11; Uncommon beyond the Continent: ISTC and Goff locate only two copies in the U.S. and ISTC locates only two copies in the U.K. (one incomplete), but there is a third copy at the British Library.