Epistolae diversorum philosophorum, Venice, Aldo, 1499, eighteenth-century half vellum

[Epistolae]. Epistolae diversorum philosophorum, oratorum, rhetorum sex & uiginti. Quorum nomina in sequenti inuenies Pagina. Venice: Aldo Manuzio, 29 March 1499 [but not before 17 April]

Editio princeps of most of the letters; the Wodhull—Clark copy. The editor Marcus Musurus brought together thirty-five authors in his extensive collection, ranging from Plato, Isocrates, and Aeschines from antiquity, to fourth-century authors such as Gregory of Nazianzus and later to Procopius of Gaza. Also included are Synesius, Aristotle, Alexander the Great, and St. Basil; other letters are spurious or of doubtful authorship, such as those by Hippocrates and Euripides. The collection "reflects Byzantine taste. Many Byzantines had practiced the art of letter writing, and as usual they studied the precedents set by ancient authors … the Aldine is therefore a collection similar to those found in some medieval manuscripts but rather more comprehensive" (Wilson).

4to (208 x 152 mm). Type in Roman and Greek, 25 lines. collation: ²α-ε^{8 2}ζ-η^{6 2}θ-ρ^{8 2}σ⁶ *⁶ α-ε¹² ς¹² ζ-η⁸ θ¹⁰ ι-τ⁸ ττ⁶ υ-ω⁸ A-Γ⁸Δ⁴ (part 2 bound before part 1, ²σ6, ζ8 a blank): 404 leaves. Extensive early marginalia. (A few minor marginal tears, worming to first 2 and last 5 leaves.) 

binding: Eighteenth-century quarter vellum over cream paper-covered pasteboards (216 x 165 mm), spine with two morocco lettering-pieces, early sixteenth-century title in ink running up fore-edge. (A bit rubbed, some minor tears and chips.)

provenance: Contemporary marginalia, foliated in ink — William Godolphin (1635-1696, English ambassador to Madrid), signature on title-page (after being accused of Catholicism and recalled to England, he stayed in Madrid for the rest of his life) — Michael Wodhull (1740-1816), purchase inscription on front free-endpaper — John Edmund Severne (1826-1899), his sale, Sotheby's London, 11-21 January 1886, lot 992— William Ridler, London, purchased in previous sale — Charles W. Clark (1871-1933) — Rosenbach Company, Philadelphia. acquisition: Purchased from John Fleming, New York, 1968. references: UCLA 30; Aldo Manuzio tipografo 31; BMC V 560 (IA 24479); Goff E64; GW 9367; ISTC ie00064000; Renouard 18/1; see Nigel Wilson, From Byzantium to Italy, pp. 150-151