Cicero, Rhetoricorum ad Herennium libri IIII, Venice, Aldus, 1521, contemporary Venetian brown morocco gilt

Cicero, Marcus Tullius. In hoc volumine haec continentur. Rhetoricorum ad C. Herennium lib. IIII. M. T. Ciceronis De inuentione lib. II. De oratore ad Quintum fratrem lib. III. De claris oratoribus, qui dicitur Brutus lib. I… De optimo genere oratorum praefatio quaedam. Venice: Heirs of Aldo Manuzio & Andrea Torresano, October 1521

The second Aldine edition of Cicero’s rhetorical writings: a close reprint of the 1514 edition, including the preface in which Aldus complains that he was plagued by those interrupting his work.

8vo (214 x 135 mm). Italic type, 39 lines. collation: *⁸ **⁸ a-k⁸ l⁴ m-z⁸ A-G⁸ H¹⁰: 262 leaves. (Small marginal repairs on title and several leaves at end.)

binding: Contemporary Venetian chestnut morocco (223 x 147 mm), probably by the Mendoza Binder (Andrea di Lorenzo?), paneled in gilt and blind, rounded arabesque stamps at outer corners and small gilt fleurons within central panel, central gilt figure of Fortuna riding a dolphin, spine with blind ruling and later gilt lettering, edges gilt and gauffered, stubs from four pairs of ties. (Spine ends renewed, hinges repaired, ties lacking.)

provenance: Sir Charles James Stuart (1824-1902, armorial bookplate), sale, Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, 29-10 June 1903, lot 225, £2-16s, to J. & J. Leighton — Hans Fürstenberg (morocco booklabel). acquisition: Purchased from Martin Breslauer Inc., New York, 1983. references: UCLA 207; Cataldi Palau 75; Edit16 12215; Renouard 93/13