ERASMUS, Desiderius.

Two important works by Erasmus in a magnificent and interesting Flemish panel binding, probably by the binder Jan Tys at Malines, Spongia adversus aspergines Hutteni.

      Joannes Froben, September 1523., Basel, - 8vo. Beautifully bound in contemporary full calf, ribbed spine with paper title label lettered in ink ('Spongi Erasmi'), sides with blind ruling around a magnificent centre piece, a triple panel of 94 x 60mm., consisting of two similar but not identical compartments with two rows of four animals and birds in winding vines. Both compartments are surrounded by a legend: the lower section reads: "De profundis / clamavi ad te domine / domine / exaudi vocem meam", the upper section has "Omnia si persa / famam servare memento / qua semel / amissa nula revisio erit". The two panels are separated by a frieze of four square compartments with three dogs and a porcupine; fore edge lettered in ink: 'Spongia Erasmi'. With Froben's printer's devise on title. (59 out of 60) lvs. (2) ERASMUS, Desiderius. Catalogus novus omnium lucubrationum cum censuris, & digestione singularum in suos tomos.Basel, Johannes Froben, September 1524. 8vo. With Froben's printer's device on title. (40) lvs. Binding: the magnificent and well preserved panel that occurs in very clear impressions on both sides of the present binding, is the well known so-called 'De profundis-panel' which is discussed at length in Staffan Fogelmark's book Flemish and related panel-stamped bindings (New York 1990), pp. 34-43, illustrated with examples on plates VI-VII and XXX. Our panel apparently belongs to a variant group without nail marks or flaw above the letters 'oi' in the left hand vertical part of the legend in the upper section. This variant, being also somewhat smaller than other groups, represents an earlier state used by the binder Jan Tys at Malines. Most dies of this panel are attributed to the printer/binder Geraert van der Hatart working in Bois-le-Duc ('s-Hertogenbosch in Northern Brabant, the Netherlands), from 1529 onwards. The dates of Erasmus's works contained in the binding suggest and support the assumption that our book was bound by Jan Tys at Malines.Ad 1: One of the three editions of this work by Erasmus that were all published in 1523 by Erasmus' famous printer and publisher Joannes Froben in Basel: one appeared in October, one without mentioning a month. So this edition from September 1523 is the editio princeps or the second edition (issue?). After a turbulent life the protestant humanist, poet, and fiery polemist Ulrich Hutten (1488-10 August 1523) fled to Switserland in 1522 where he expected to be welcomed by Erasmus. The latter, however, received him with an icy distance. Hutten reacted, as could be expected, with a defamatory pamphlet: his Expostulatio cum Erasmo, answered by Erasmus with his Spongia, published just before, or just after Hutten died on the island Ufenau in the lake of Zürich.Ad 2: Second edition of Erasmus's additions to and annotations on his own works. The first edition had appeared in 1523, also printed by Froben. A Catalogus omnium Erasmi Rot. lucubrationum had already appeared in 1522, also by Froben. Good copies in a very interesting Flemish panel binding with the ownership's entry of W. Carr, dated 1 July 1786, on the first fly-leaf.- (Top and tail of spine damaged, ties missing, last lv. of first work lacking and the four bands broken at that opening). Binding: Fogelmark, p. 34-43, Plates VI-VII and XXX; ad 1: VD16, E 3641; Adams E 837; Van der Haeghen, p. 177; Bibl. Erasm. Bruxellensis 358; Bezel, Erasmusdr. des 16. Jhrts in Bayer. Bibl. 1804; ad 2: VD16, E 2123; Van der Haeghen 27; Bezel 307. [Attributes: First Edition]