Philelphus, Franciscus

Chancery folio (298 x 203mm.), 154 leaves (of 156), a⁸ b-z & [con]⁶ [rum]⁴, 43 lines plus headline, roman type, 3- to 11-line initial spaces with printed guides, annotations in different hands, nineteenth-century red morocco, spine with gilt lettering, gilt edges, without initial blank and final leaf containing register, small repair to b5 with loss of a couple of letters, occasional soiling, a few small wormholes in gutter and at end just touching text, quire t misbound, last few leaves repaired in margins, binding rubbed, small scrape on upper cover

Sir Edward Sullivan, bookplate, sale, Sotheby's, 6 June 1890, lot 4890, 18s, to Rimell; William O'Brien, bequest booklabel dated 1899

Goff P584; HC (+Add) 12933; BMC vii 973, xii 70; BSB-Ink P-428; Bod-inc P-260; GW M32971; Grosjean & O'Connell 93

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."

The humanist scholar Franciscus Philelphus (Francesco Filelfo, 1398-1481) is plausibly the first scholar to use the printing press for self-promotion. He actively sought the publication of his substantial collection of letters, and he was willing to provide some of the financial backing for such a project. The letters date from 1427 to 1461 and are addressed to many of the best-known scholars and statesmen of the time, from Enea Silvio Piccolomini and Piero de' Medici to Giovanni Aurispa and Cardinal Bessarion, as well as foreign personages such as Ladislaus of Hungary and Charles of France.

Below the colophon, a contemporary hand has transcribed a letter from the doge, Agostino Barbarigo, dated 24 April 1487, ordering his officers in Padua to reassure German students (scolares theotunici) who had fled at the advance of the troops of the duke of Austria towards Venetian territory.