Ubertinus de Casali

Chancery folio (293 x 210mm.), 248 leaves (of 250, without initial and final blank leaves), a-z A⁸ B¹²; C-G⁸ H⁶, double column, 58 lines plus headline, roman type, 3- to 8-line initial spaces, eighteenth-century Italian vellum-backed boards, some deckle edges, occasional light spotting or staining, H1 with paper repair in gutter, lacking most of spine

obscured inscription on final leaf with date 1506; Conte Maffeo Pinelli (1736-1785), sale, London, John Edwards, 1789, lot 7230 ("exemplar nitidissimum libri eximiae raritatis"); Michael Wodhull, inscription on flyleaf dated 19 April 1789, with price £1-2s and some bibliographical references, and the date 15 April 1796 at end, his sale, Sotheby's, 13 January 1886, lot 603 ("in this very curious and rare work the author ascribes the foundation of the Ordo Fratrum Minorum Beati Francisci to Christ"), 10s; Marie Lea-Wilson, donation bookplate dated 1924

Goff U55; HC 4551; BMC v 361; BSB-Ink U-67; Bod-inc U-008; GW M48799; Grosjean & O'Connell 38

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."

First and only incunabular edition. This is a second copy, not from the O'Brien library. The binding is the same as that on the Caracciolus (see lot ***), and was presumably made for Pinelli.

Ubertinus de Casali (1259-c. 1329) was one of the leaders of the Spirituali Franciscans in Italy. This work, composed around 1305, champions the rule of St Francis in its strictest sense and the poverty of Christ, both of which were not encouraged by various popes, and Ubertinus was exiled and later excommunicated as a result. His afterlife in literature encompassed Dante and Umberto Eco.