- 59
Bury, Richard de
Estimate
5,000 - 7,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- Bury, Richard de
- Philobiblion... sive de amore librorum, et institutione bibliothecae, tractatus pulcherrimus... Opera & studio T[homas] I[ames]. Oxford: Joseph Barnes, 1599
- Paper
4to (190 x 138mm.), woodcut headpieces and initials, contemporary limp vellum gilt, gilt lozenge-shaped centrepiece of a Tudor rose, 3 (of 4) wide blue silk ties (laced to insides of covers), wormholes in second half with some loss of text, upper corners of binding with replacement sections
Provenance
Scrope Berdmore (Warden of Merton College from 1790 to 1810 and Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University), inscription on inside front cover dated 1778
Literature
STC 959; Pforzheimer 21
Condition
Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
The first edition to be published in England of Richard de Bury's treatise on bibliophily; a single copy is recorded of a 1598 issue, probably a trial copy, which is without the dedication to James's future employer, Thomas Bodley, and the appendix listing the authors of manuscripts housed in Oxford. The following year James had published Ecloga Oxonio-Cantabrigiensis, alluded to in the introduction to his appendix, which provides a fuller listing of manuscripts in Oxford and Cambridge colleges.
Richard de Bury (1287-1345), bishop of Durham and avid book-collector, intended to use his collection to endow the library of an Oxford college he planned to found. He also discusses the state of learning and scholarly practices of the time, using the books themselves to voice his criticisms.