first edition
1501 · Venice
by (ALDINE IMPRINT). (POST-INCUNABLE). MARTIALIS, MARCUS VALERIUS
Venice: Aldus Manutius, 1501. First Aldine Edition. 162 x 98 mm. (6 1/2 x 4 3/4"). [191] leaves (text complete, lacking a final blank leaf).
Appealing 18th century speckled calf, neatly rebacked, spine with raised bands and red morocco label, gilt tooled, the covers with a delicate gilt chain border, all edges marbled. In a later board slipcase. Duke of Grafton's ownership inscription to the half-title, dated 1789; an additional ownership inscription "Adelaide Black," probably 19th century, to the front free endpaper; isolated marginalia in an old (17th century?) hand. Renouard 30:7; Ahmanson-Murphy 37; Dibdin II, 229; USTC 841150. â—†Covers rather pitted (as almost always with old acid-treated calf), corners worn, the slightest foxing in the first few quires, other quite trivial internal imperfections, but the rest of the text very bright and fresh. Quite a pleasing copy.
Set in elegant Aldine italic type, this is a desirable copy of an important early edition of Martial's epigrams satirizing city life and the scandalous behavior of his contemporaries. Born in Roman Spain, Martial (ca. 40 - ca. 103) is said to have invented the genre of the epigram with his brief, witty, and satirical pieces that contrast the scandal of city life with a romanticized notion of his youth in the provinces. Of Martial's corpus of more than 1,500 epigrams, Smith says that "it is impossible not to be amazed by the singular fertility of imagination, the prodigious flow of wit, and the delicate felicity of language everywhere developed in this extraordinary collection, and from no source do we derive more copious information on the national customs and social habits of the Romans during the first century of the empire." The persisting popularity of our text led to its being selected by the Venetian humanist printer Aldus Manutius (1449-1515) as part of his series of octavo editions of Latin classics. Among the first secular books issued in octavo, this series used the italic type developed by Aldus and typecutter Francesco Griffo, which is generally acknowledged to be the first italic type. The highly portable Aldine copies of desirable titles proved immensely popular, although only one edition of Martial's epigrams was published by Aldus. Our copy has a noble provenance. The inscription at the front indicates it was part of the Duke of Grafton's library, and since it is dated 1789, the inscription almost certainly is that of Augustus Henry FitzRoy (1735-1811), the third Duke of Grafton. Best remembered for his scandalous divorce and his time as Prime Minister (from 1768-70), Grafton was also an avid book collector. Oxford DNB tells us that "his personal library, sold after his death, was extensive and included a number of rare works.". (Inventory #: CPW2401)
Appealing 18th century speckled calf, neatly rebacked, spine with raised bands and red morocco label, gilt tooled, the covers with a delicate gilt chain border, all edges marbled. In a later board slipcase. Duke of Grafton's ownership inscription to the half-title, dated 1789; an additional ownership inscription "Adelaide Black," probably 19th century, to the front free endpaper; isolated marginalia in an old (17th century?) hand. Renouard 30:7; Ahmanson-Murphy 37; Dibdin II, 229; USTC 841150. â—†Covers rather pitted (as almost always with old acid-treated calf), corners worn, the slightest foxing in the first few quires, other quite trivial internal imperfections, but the rest of the text very bright and fresh. Quite a pleasing copy.
Set in elegant Aldine italic type, this is a desirable copy of an important early edition of Martial's epigrams satirizing city life and the scandalous behavior of his contemporaries. Born in Roman Spain, Martial (ca. 40 - ca. 103) is said to have invented the genre of the epigram with his brief, witty, and satirical pieces that contrast the scandal of city life with a romanticized notion of his youth in the provinces. Of Martial's corpus of more than 1,500 epigrams, Smith says that "it is impossible not to be amazed by the singular fertility of imagination, the prodigious flow of wit, and the delicate felicity of language everywhere developed in this extraordinary collection, and from no source do we derive more copious information on the national customs and social habits of the Romans during the first century of the empire." The persisting popularity of our text led to its being selected by the Venetian humanist printer Aldus Manutius (1449-1515) as part of his series of octavo editions of Latin classics. Among the first secular books issued in octavo, this series used the italic type developed by Aldus and typecutter Francesco Griffo, which is generally acknowledged to be the first italic type. The highly portable Aldine copies of desirable titles proved immensely popular, although only one edition of Martial's epigrams was published by Aldus. Our copy has a noble provenance. The inscription at the front indicates it was part of the Duke of Grafton's library, and since it is dated 1789, the inscription almost certainly is that of Augustus Henry FitzRoy (1735-1811), the third Duke of Grafton. Best remembered for his scandalous divorce and his time as Prime Minister (from 1768-70), Grafton was also an avid book collector. Oxford DNB tells us that "his personal library, sold after his death, was extensive and included a number of rare works.". (Inventory #: CPW2401)