Beroaldus [Beroaldo], Fillipo

...Opusculum eruditum: Quo continentur Declamatio Philosophi Medici Oratoris De excelle(n)tia discepta(n)tiu(m). Et libellus de optimo statu: & principe

      Benedictus Hectoris, Bologna:: Benedictus Hectoris,, 1497, Dec. 13.. Editio Princeps. First Edition.. Modern 1/4 vellum over boards,lower corner dampstain on A1-2, marginal stains and ink spots on some leaves; small contemporary drawing under colophon.. 4to.. Beroaldus (1453-1505) one of the most eminent scholars of the fifteenth century, was born in Bologna. He was brilliant scholar, a popular lecturer, and was rewarded with civic and academic honors. "He was fond of the pleasures of the table, and passionately addicted to play, to which he sacrificed all he was worth. He was an ardent votary of the fair sex; and thought no pains nor experience too great for accomplishing his wishes." At length he married and changed his ways. #11;This is the first edition of these two short works.The first is a dispute between three brothers - a philosopher, a physician and an orator - whose father has bequeathed his patrimony to the one whose profession is the most useful to society. Each of the three defends his own profession, first the philosopher, second the physician, and third the orator; but it is, of course, the orator who gets the inheritance because, even though his profession is probably least useful, he is best at defending it. The orator exposes the philosopher's and the physician's fallacies drawing on sources such as Pythagoras, Empedocles, Plato, Hippocrates, Galenus, Avicenna, etc. #11;The second work is an epistle on statecraft and on the optimal form of government. "Filippo Beroaldo begins his De optimo statu with a typology of legitimate regimes, speaking of the status popularis, the status paucarum and even the status unius when refering to monarchy."#11;"Filippo Beroaldo endorses the same conclusions (as Campano) in a treatise to which he actually gave the title De optimo statu. The best state, he argues, can be attained only if our our ruler or leading magistrate 'remains oblivious of his own good, and ensures that he acts in everything he does in such a way as to promote the public benefit." #11;[Political Innovation and Conceptual Change. Ed. Terence Ball, James Faarr,et al. Cambridge U.P., 1989.] Goff B473. Hain/Copinger 2963* . Klebs 182.1. Pell 2218. CIBN B-343. Hillard 357. Polain(B) 4203. IBE 972. IGI 1591. IBP 958 .IJL2 74. Saj!-Solt!sz 588. Mendes 193. Madsen 646. Voull(B) 2781. Sack(Freiburg) 592 . Borm 423. Walsh 3236. Bod-inc B-220. Sheppard 5387, 5388. Bodleian B220. Oates 2499. Proctor 6635. BMC VI 844. BSB-Ink B-371. GW 4126. ISTC ib00473000. Wellcome 810.