MAGISTRI, Martinus de; CRANSTON, David

Quaestiones morales magistri Martini . : de fortitudine, novissime ab erratis mendisque limate, adjecta tabula alphabetico ordine contexta per David Cranston in sacra pagina bacchalarium feliciter incipiunt

      (Guillermus Anabat) for Jean Granjon, Paris 1510 - Contemporary blindstamped (Spanish?) calf laid over modern calf with new end-papers Folio . Second edition (1st: Paris, 1489) and the first edited by David Cranston of this important work on moral theology by Martin Le Maistre (Martinus Magistri: 1432–1482), procurator of the French nation, also Rector of the University of Paris from 1460, and one of the most eminent theological professors of his day. He was a zealous champion of Nominalism, for which he also exerted his influence as almoner to Louis XI. "Cranston, David (c.1480–1512), philosopher and theologian, was born in Scotland, probably in the diocese of Glasgow. Nothing is known of his parentage or of his education before he matriculated at the University of Paris in 1495 . . A pupil of John Mair (1467–1550), Cranston graduated MA in 1499 and embarked, while teaching in the arts faculty, on the study of theology. His first publication, Positiones phisicales (1500), was followed by his additions to Mair's Termini (2nd edn, 1503). Three years later Cranston dedicated his Questiones on Aristotle's Posterior Analytics to Archbishop Robert Blackadder of Glasgow. Cranston was now a prominent member of the circle around Mair whose joint efforts were largely responsible for the brilliant Parisian revival of scholastic philosophy, especially in its nominalist and Scotist aspects, during the early decades of the sixteenth century. That revival also affected contemporary Thomism, continued in the ‘school of Salamanca’. Cranston appears as a vigorous defender of scholastic method against humanist criticism. It should be noted, however, that he was, with Mair, among those who attended in 1512 Girolamo Aleandro's Greek lectures in the university. Cranston was by then completing his theology course: he took his doctorate in May 1512. In his published work he had turned latterly to moral philosophy, in the form of substantial additions to the Questiones morales of Martin Le Maistre (1432–1482) David Cranston's premature death, between 7 and 14 August 1512, meant that what seems to have been regarded as brilliant promise was not fulfilled in any major work. Much of what he wrote, whatever its originality, took the form of additions to the work of others."(Oxford DNB) The work is rare with only copy located in OCLC is the the University of Cambridge which is also lacking the second part of 18 leaves. The KvK locates two copies in German libraries (no collations). Martin Le Maistre's text is complete but without the very scarce supplement 101 leaves (lacking last three leaves after colophon = printer's device and 2 leaves of "Tabula" and second part of 18 leaves also lacking in Adams). Large metal cut printer's device of Jean Granjon (Renouard no. 395) within 4 piece woodcut border; gothic letter; double columns. Early inscription on title "Coimbra, 1629"; Small round collection stamp in blank margin; book plate of George Dunn (partly scratched off); modern gift inscription on front end-leaf. § Adams M-123 (1st part only); Renouard, Imprimeurs & libraires parisiens du XVIe siècle, I (1964) p. 44, no. 80.