Alciati, Iudiciarii processus compendium, Venice, 1537, contemporary limp vellum

ALCIATI, ANDREA. Andreae Alciati Mediolanensis, Iudiciarii processus compendium, atque adeo iuris utriusque praxis, in gratiam studiosorum nunc primum typis excusa. Christophori Hegendorphini, oratio de artibus, futuro iurisconsulto necessariisque, & frugiferis, comparandis. Eiusdem consilium de compendiaria dicendi iura civilia ratione. Venice: (Ottaviano Scoto), 1537 [bound with:]

[Schussenreid, Werner von] Modus legendi abbreviaturas passim in utroque iure occurrentes, nunc demum integritati suae restitutus. Venice: Melchiorre Sessa, 1531

This legal compendium was first printed in Cologne in 1536; it was probably an unauthorised compilation based on lecture notes, rather than composed by Alciati himself. The second work was a common legal reference work dating from the early fifteenth century and now attributed to Werner von Schussenried of Speyer.

The simple contemporary binding demonstrates how the volume was originally shelved, with the fore-edge down, the spine upwards, and the head of the textblock facing out.

2 works in one volume, 8vo (157 x 104 mm). (1) Gothic type, 39 lines plus headline. Collation: a⁸ A-Y⁸: 184 leaves (last leaf blank). Title printed in red and black with woodcut printer’s device, woodcut initials, woodcut device beneath colophon. (2) Roman type, 34 lines plus headline. Collation: A-G⁸: 56 leaves. Title within woodcut border, woodcut initials, woodcut printer’s device on final verso.

Binding: Contemporary limp vellum (163 x 113 mm), fore-edge flaps, stubs of two pairs of alum-tawed ties, lettered on upper cover with the date 1552 and later inventory number 116 (from Brandis’s library?), titles written in ink on spine, paper label at foot of spine with number 116 written in red, title written on fore-edge, with an armorial and the letters IIR, manuscript fragments in binding. (Binding somewhat soiled, small hole at foot of spine.)

Provenance: Hans Jakob Römer (died 1571, of Schloss Maretsch, Bolzano), arms on head of textblock — Jacob Andrä, Freiherr von Brandis (1569-1629, imperial councillor and historian of the Tyrol), early inscription on title-page — Zisska & Kistner, Auktion 35, Munich, 9-12 May 2000, lot 489. Acquisition: Purchased in 2000 from Maggs Bros, London. References: Edit16 33374 & 29949