Pliny the Elder] Plinius Secundus, Gaius: (Gelen, Sigismund, ed.:)

Historiae Mundi Libri XXXVII. Denuo ad vetustos codices collati, et plurimus locis emendati, ut patet ex adiunctis Annotationibus.

      Basileae [Basel]: In officina Frobeniana, 1545. - Folio, pp. [xxxvi] 671 [ccxxxvii]. Three leaves of notes with a marginal stain/flaw affecting 2-3 characters. Some browning and soiling, small marginal dampmarks in a few places, one leaf with a small sellotape reinforcement to margin. Early sheep, spine in five compartments with raised bands, the second lettered direct in ink, somewhat scratched, rubbed at extremities, a touch of wear to corners, endpapers sometime replaced with the first and last gatherings sewn to the new stubs, r.f.e.p. removed, a few small wormholes to the leather of top spine compartment. Title inked to lower text-block edge, early inscription to title: "Francisci Fortunati Rhauly". The expatriate Czech scholar Sigismund Gelen (1497-1554), who settled in Basel, was one of the main reasons the Froben printing press there achieved the level of quality and accuracy that it did. Gelen spent some time as an amanuensis for Erasmus before working as an editor, proofreader, and translator for the Officina Frobeniana, where he stayed until his death. He re-edited the text of Pliny printed there several times, in each subsequent edition increasing the accuracy by revisiting the manuscript sources. This edition followed that of 1539, and was itself followed by one of 1554-5, Gelen’s last work. VD16 P 3542. Adams P1570. Schweiger II 787. [Attributes: Signed Copy; Hard Cover]