Suetonius, Vitae Caesarum, Venice, 1490, later vellum

SUETONIUS TRANQUILLUS, GAIUS

Vitae XII Caesarum [commentary by Marcus Antonius Sabellicus]. Marcus Antonius Sabellicus: Epistola Augustino Barbadico; Vita Suetonii. Ausonius: Versus. Venice: Baptista de Tortis, 15 February 1490

Chancery folio (298 x 201mm.), 137 leaves (of 138, without final blank), a-f⁸ g-h¹⁰ i-m⁸ n-r⁶ s⁸, woodcut printer's device below colophon, eighteenth-century blind-stamped vellum, spine gilt in compartments with coloured compartments for the author and date, title closely cut out and mounted, a2 repaired at upper corner and slightly torn in gutter, q6 misbound after n6, occasional light browning or worming

This is the first edition of Suetonius' Lives of the Caesars to contain the commentary by the professional humanist Marcantonio Sabellico (c. 1436-1506). As well as scandalous details of the private lives of the Caesars, Suetonius also describes campaigns and other military matters.

LITERATURE:

ISTC is00822000

PROVENANCE:

Sir Henry Halford Bart M.D., armorial bookplate (perhaps of the physician, 1766-1844). His grandson Sir Henry St John Halford (1828-1897) was a friend of Thomas Francis Fremantle, 3rd Lord Cottesloe (they carried out rifle experiments together), who on Halford's death inherited his house, Wistow Hall in Leicestershire. The 4th Lord Cottesloe was named for him (John Walgrave Halford Fremantle).