Capece, De principiis rerum libri duo, Venice, Aldus, 1546, later French red morocco, Henry Drury-Powis copy

Capece, Scipione. Scipionis Capicii De principiis rerum libri duo. Eiusdem de vate maximo libri tres. Venice: sons of Aldo Manuzio, 1546

The Henry Drury-Powis copy, in a handsome binding, and a large paper copy, the only such copy known to Conor Fahy (none were cited by Renouard).

8vo (198 x 125 mm), large paper copy. Italic type, 30 lines plus headline. collation: A-D⁸ E^8-1 F-H⁸: 63 leaves. Woodcut Aldine device on title-page and final verso, one or two early corrections in a neat hand. (Occasional foxing and staining.)

binding: Later French red morocco (200 x 130 mm), covers with elaborate border of gilt scrolls formed by vines, leaves, and flowers, framing a gilt central cartouche of interlaced flora sprigs enclosing the gilt title SCIPIONIS / CAPICII / DE / PRINCIPIIS RERUM on upper cover, and SCIPIONIS / CAPICII / DE / VATE / MAXIMO on lower cover), spine gilt with green morocco lettering-piece, edges gilt, marbled endpapers.

provenance: Henry Drury (1778-1841), sale, Evans, 19 February-23 March 1827, lot 691 — Edward Herbert, 2nd Earl of Powis (1785-1848), sale, Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, London, 20-22 March 1923, part of lot 518 — Bernard Quaritch, London (note to front free endpaper). acquisition: Purchased from Martin Breslauer, New York, 1978. references: UCLA 358; Edit16 9083; Renouard 138/18; Conor Fahy, "Esemplari su carta reale di edizioni aldine, 1494-1550" in La Bibliofilia 106 (2004), pp.135-172 (p.168 no. 44: "T. Kimball Brooker, Chicago"); Conor Fahy, "Royal-paper copies of Aldine editions, 1494-1550" in Studies in Bibliography 57 (2005-2006), pp.85-113 (p.111 no. 44: "T. Kimball Brooker, Chicago")