Erasmus, Adagiorum chiliades, Basel, 1513, contemporary French calf over wooden boards

Erasmus, Desiderius

Adagiorum chiliades tres, ac centuriae fere totidem. (Basel: Johann Froben, August 1513)

folio (305 x 208mm.), title within a woodcut border by Urs Graf, woodcut initials, early annotations in several different hands, without final blank leaf, contemporary French tooled calf over wooden boards, two clasps, title lettered along foot of textblock, occasional light staining, rebacked, lacking both straps

Erasmus's collection of proverbs was first published in Paris in 1500, then much expanded for the Aldine edition of 1508 and subsequently printed by Froben in 1513 and 1515. This first Froben edition is rare on the market; we have found no auction records. The driving force behind Froben's edition was Franz Birckmann, publisher, banker and agent, who worked with Josse Bade in Paris as well as numerous other printers on the Continent. The revised Adagia was due to be printed by Bade in Paris, but Birckmann took the manuscript to Basel instead.

One of the roll-tools on the binding incorporates a salamander surmounted by an F, the symbol of François I (reigned 1515-1547).

LITERATURE:

Bezzel 69; USTC 653243, listing 14 copies; VD16 E 1931

PROVENANCE:

Philippus [--], erased early inscription on title-page; Mellier, later signature on title-page; Gabriel de Glatigny (1690-1755), of Lyon, armorial bookplate; D.L. Cumming, signature on flyleaf