BIDPAI.

Bidpai fables, Der alten Weisen exempel sprüch, mit vil schönen Beyspielen und Figuren erlëuchtet. Darinnen fast aller menschen wesen, Händel, Untrew, List, Geschwindigkeyt, Neyd und Hass, figuriert und angezeygt werden. In welchem auch nicht weniger der heymlich neyd und hass, so sich beyweilen an küniglichen, und fürstlichen höfen, zwischen Rhäten unnd anderen, des Regiments verwandten, mit falscher schmeychlerey, und verzhäterey der bosshaftigen, wider die getrewen un frummen zütragen, gleich wie in einn spiegel ersehen und erkant werden. Allen menschen nit alleyn fruchtbarlich und kurzwilig, sondern auch schimpfflich, und ernstlich zülesen, und zü hören.

      J. Frölich, 1539., Strasbourg, - Small folio. 19th century half vellum. With half-page woodcut on title depicting two old men talking with a third man, sitting in a high chair, the names "Berosias" and "Anastres Tassri" printed above and "Die alten Weisen" underneath, full-page woodcut illustration showing a man offering a book to a king, numerous large woodcut vignettes, and 113 woodcut illustrations for the fables in text. (4), 107 leaves. Rare early sixteenth century edition, the fifteenth in all, of the so-called "Bidpai Fables", a popular early German fable collection, based on the "Pantsha Tantra", an ancient Indian classic. The fables were called Bidpai after the Hebrew translation of "Pantsha Tantra" meaning "Five Books". The collection contained a large number of fables in which animals were depicted, both in text and in illustrations, as a mirror for human behaviour within the human hierarchy. These animal fables were embedded into a number of larger frame stories which in their turn taught wisdom, courtesy and the right conduct for princes. The fables were first translated into German by Anton von Pforr, based upon the Latin "Directorium Humanae Vitae" by Johannes de Capua, on which most translations in Europe were based. This Johannes de Capua had already translated the fables into Latin in the 12th or 13th century, problably from a Hebrew manuscript. Both the Greek and Hebrew translations, made in the Middle-Ages in Europe of the Bidpai fables, were based upon Arabic manuscripts from the 8th century, and these were based again upon 6th century Persian manuscripts, by way of which the Bidpai fables came to Europe.In the 16th century the Bidpai fables belonged to the most popular books in Germany, however after 1600 the fables of Aesop and other popular fable books took their place. The Bidpai collection more lastingly left books of proverbs and wise sayings, like the "Seven Wise Men of Rome", books of examples, animal "mirrors", etc. to European literature. Comparison with earlier editions of the Bidpai fables - the Ulm edition from 1483, the Strasbourg edition from 1490, both described in Fairfax Murray, and the Grienninger edition from 1529 -, learns that the illustrations are all based on the same basic designs, but differ more or less in execution. The large number of decorative woodcut vignettes, also added to the present edition, were especially made for our publisher, they are not found in the Grienninger-editions. These vignettes run over the whole width of the page, and are often repeated. Mostly they are of ornamental design in white against black, but often they are historiated as well, comprising cherubs, grazing sheep, scenes of cherubs bringing a drink to a recumbent giant, etc. The woodcut on title refers to the story told in the preface, that Anastres Tassri, King of Edom, commissioned his physician Berosias to translate the book from Sanscrit into Persian. The full-page woodcut depicts King Dissles receiving the book from the wise master Sendebar. The book is printed in Gothic type, with legenda in the margins in a slightly smaller Gothic type. German incunables of the Bidpai fables are occasionally offered for sale, but 16th century editions seem to be of the utmost rarity. Good copy.- (Few stains; few lvs. restored). Metzner & Raabe, Kat. ill. Fabelausg. 1461-1990, Frankfurt, 1998, no. 20, 3; STC German, p. 908 (ed. of 1545); Fairfax Murray, German, 70-71 (ed. of 1483 and 1490); Fabula Docet 29 (first Pforr edition, ca. 1481). [Attributes: First Edition]