Ovid, Les XXI epistres, Paris, 1534, reversed white calf

OVIDIUS NASO, PUBLIUS

Les XXI epistres Dovide translatees... par... Monseigneur Levesque Dangouleme. Nouvellement reveues et corrigees. Paris: Guillaume de Bossozel, (1 August) 1534

8vo (158 x 95mm.), title within a metalcut border, woodcut illustrations, contemporary reversed white calf with early printed sheets used as board liners, some deckle edges, modern folding box, paper flaw at foot of K4, binding slightly rubbed, spine chipped at head and foot

This verse translation of the Heroides was by Octovien de Saint-Gelais (1468-1502), the bishop of Angoulême who also translated Vergil into French; this edition also contains four further letters (from lesser-known love-lorn characters in the style of the Heroides) composed in French by André de La Vigne (1470?-1526?). Saint-Gelais's translation was popular and prolific; this is one of around twenty editions from the first half of the sixteenth century.

LITERATURE:

BP16 107641; USTC 34517

PROVENANCE:

J.W. Six, bookplate; the Arcana Collection, sale, Christie's, 27 October 2010, lot 56