Ambrosius, De virginitate opuscula, Rome, Manuzio, 1562, contemporary vellum

Ambrosius of Milan, Joannes Chrysostomus and Gregory of Nyssa. De virginitate opuscula Sanctorum doctorum, Ambrosii, Hieronymi et Augustini. Quae sint ex antiquis exemplaribus emendata, & quae varie legantur, in extremo libro ostendimus. Rome: Paolo Manuzio, 1562

[Bound with:] Joannes Chrysostomus. Sancti Ioannis Chrysostomi De virginitate liber a Iulio Pogiano conversus. Rome: Paolo Manuzio, 1562 [bound with:]

Gregory of Nyssa. Gregorii Nyseni Liber de virginitate, a Petro Galesinio conversus. Rome: Paolo Manuzio, 1562 [bound with:]

Gregory of Nyssa. Gregorii Nyseni Conciones quinque de oratione Domini. Eiusdem conciones octo de beata vita comparanda. Omnes a Petro Galesinio conversae. His adiuncta est ab eodem Nyseni vita e veteribus auctoribus collecta. Rome: Paolo Manuzio, 1563

A volume of works by the Church Fathers on virginity, in Latin translation, with extensive annotations by a contemporary cleric from Cagli (near Urbino). There had been a movement in the Rome of the 1540s to print texts such as these in the original Greek, but there were too many obstacles to overcome and Latin translations were eventually printed instead. Giulio Poggiano had attempted to have his translation of Chrysostom printed in 1556, with a preface to Cardinal Pole; for this edition, the dedicatee is Cardinal Truchsess.

4 works in one volume, 4to (200 x 161 mm). Roman type, 31 lines plus headline. collation: Ambrosius: A-Z⁴ AA-FF⁴: 116 leaves. Chrysostom: a-b⁴ A-Q⁴: 72 leaves (b4 blank). Gregory 1562: *⁴ A-K⁴ L⁶: 50 leaves (last leaf blank). Gregory 1563: A⁴ b⁶ A-X⁴: 94 leaves. Woodcut Aldine device on title-pages. Extensive early manuscript annotations, with the dates of reading such as 28 May 1577, on the feast of Pentecost at the Abbey of St Michael Archangel, on X4 of the first part, 1 June 1577 at same location at end of second part, 8 August 1575 at Cagli at end of third part, and others. (Occasional staining or foxing.)

binding: Old vellum (207 x 178 mm), manuscript lettering on spine. (Vellum at edges of upper cover defective.)

provenance: Berⁿⁱ Bni Callien[sis], i.e. Bernardino Berni (?) of Cagli, inscription on title-page of Gregorius — Bernardino [--], purchase inscription in Italian dated 7 January 1629 for 8 pauli — Rev. Lester Kuenzel (1888-1963), ink stamps throughout and inscription "Dubuque, Iowa, U.S. America, 12/21/1916" on inside front cover — Swann Galleries, 16 December 1971, lot 7. acquisition: Purchased via Lathrop Harper. references: UCLA 678, 674, 675, 698; Edit16 16242, 27775, 21752, 21753; Renouard 186/7, 5, 6, and 188/4