Horatius Flaccus, Horatius, Lyon, de Gabiano?, 1502?, early nineteenth-century English green morocco

Horatius Flaccus, Quintus. Horatius. [Lyon: Baldazare de Gabiano? Barthélemy Trot? 1502?]

Very rare—the Butler copy. The first counterfeit edition of the Aldine edition of May 1501, edited by Aldo. Likely printed in Lyon ca. 1502, before the publication of Aldo’s 1503 Monitum, as it contains the errors listed there.

Dr. Samuel Butler (1774-1839) was a prominent English classicist, schoolmaster, and the Bishop of Lichfield (see lot 901 and 975).

8vo (160 x 94 mm). Roman and italic type, 30 lines plus headline. collation: a-s⁸ (s8 a blank): 286 leaves. Early marginalia. (Slight loss to lower corners of f4 and g1, occasional minor marginal dampstaining.)

binding: Early nineteenth-century English green morocco (163 x 102 mm), covers with gilt frame, gilt fillets on edges of boards and inside borders, Aldine device blindstamped at center, spine with bands in six gilt compartments, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers. (Trifle rubbed.)

provenance: Samuel Butler (1774-1839), Bishop of Lichfield & Coventry, his collation inscription citing Renouard (1825 edition) on the initial blank; his sale, Christie’s London, 1-10 June 1840, lot 952 — Arthur Atherley (1772-1844), bookplate to pastedown. acquisition: Purchased from Sevin Seydi Rare Books, London, 1975. references: UCLA 1104 (not in collection); Renouard 306/4; FB 74182; USTC 142751; Baudrier, VII, 8; Shaw 6