Eusebius Caesariensis (c. 260-c. 340 AD).

Median folio (335 x 230mm.), printed on vellum, 142 leaves, 39 lines, roman letter, headings supplied in red manuscript, [a]2 with an illuminated border in three margins incorporating an 8-line gold initial, all white vine stem decoration on a red, green and blue ground, the lower border with a green roundel containing a portrait bust (covering the original decoration, probably a coat-of-arms), 6-line illuminated initials in similar style at the start of each book, 2-line initials supplied in red or blue, eighteenth-century red morocco, central panel of green morocco with gilt floral centrepiece and a double border composed of circle tools, Greek key roll-tooled outer border with corner fleurons, spine gilt in compartments, green morocco lettering-pieces, gilt edges, a few early marginal annotations, foot of [a]2 slightly soiled, a few small marginal repairs to vellum, a few small wormholes, extremities slightly rubbed

Count Sebastiano d'Ayala (1744-1811); Count MacCarthy-Reagh, sale in Paris, 1815, lot 517, 1,000 francs; Payne & Foss, 1828, pencilled inscription "Payne 1828"; Sir John Hayford Thorold and Syston Park, bookplates, sale in our rooms, 12 December 1884, lot 770, £46, Ellis; the Earls of Crawford and Balcarres, sale in our rooms, 17 June 1887, lot 850, £40, Bernard Quaritch, London; J.W. Pease, bookplate

Born in Sicily in 1744, Sebastiano d'Ayala entered the Society of Jesus in 1759. A keen mathematician, he was appointed agent of the Republic of Ragusa at the Imperial Court in 1775. He published a few books, including a life of Pietro Metastasio, and a catalogue of his library, Catalogue de la collection des livres de première édition, ou d'édition rare du quinzième siècle (Vienna, 1802). His collection of Aldine editions was given to the library of the Counts of Apponyi in Vienna.

H 6699; GW 9440; BMC v 167;  IGI 3754; Bodleian XVc. E-047; Goff E118; Van Praet, Vélins du Roi, 366; Pellechet 4642A

first edition of the latin translation, and one of only three known copies printed on vellum. Eusebius is perhaps best-known for his monumental church history, which contains invaluable information about the contemporary church. His De praeparatione evangelica is one of two important treatises written to justify Christian rejection of Greek religion and philosophy in favour of that of the Hebrews. The Greek text was not published until 1544 (as was the Historia ecclesiastica).

This is one of the first books printed by Nicolas Jenson, and this copy one of only three known printed on vellum: the others being that in the Bibliothèque nationale, Paris, and, according to Van Praet (in his supplement), another in Padua ("appartient aux chanoines de Padoue"). ISTC lists a copy in the Biblioteca Capitolare there, belonging to the Capitolo de Canonici (as well as a copy in the Seminary Library), but makes no mention of its being printed on vellum. Pellechet records two settings; the present copy is of the same setting as the vellum copy in the Bibliothèque nationale. There were a number of editions printed before 1500, all taking their cue from this.