Lhistoire escripte premierement en grec par Josephus le Juif, autheur tresnoble & ancien, et en apres mise en latin, dont elle a este depuys faicte francoyse : contenant les guerres qui furent au pays de Judee puys le temps que la cite de Hierusalem fut premierement prinse par le roy Antyochus entretenue iusques a la tierce destruction dicelle par Vaspasien lempereur et Tytus son filz : elle est a present notee a la marge des accordances de la Bible et dung aultre historiographe ancien nomme Egesippus : le tout bien a propos et par merueilleuse diligence.

Accession number:

PML 199347

Author:

Josephus, Flavius, author.

Published:

[Paris] : On les vend a Paris au premier piller de la grande salle du Pallays en la bouticque de Galliot du Pre, 1530

Credit:

Purchased on the T. Kimball Brooker Foundation Book Purchase Fund in honor of the Morgan's Centennial.

Description:

[6], cciii leaves : illustrations (woodcuts) ; 34 cm (fol)

Notes:

With the imprint of Galliot Du Pre on title-page; variants issues are recorded with the imprint of Poncet Le Preux.
Printed by Nicolas Savetier for Galliot Du Pre, Poncet le Preux, and Claude Chevallon.
This is the second French edition of Josephus's Jewish Wars, following Vérard's of ca. 1492, believed to have been translated by Claude de Seyssel for (and perhaps by the order of) Charles VIII, although Fairfax-Murray notably disputes the identification of Seyssel as translator.
Black letter, 64 lines plus headline, double column.
Signatures: a⁶ b⁸ c-z⁶ A-L⁶ M⁴: 209 leaves (of 210, without final blank).
Title printed in red and black within an architectural woodcut border, black-ground woodcut initials with dotted manner ("criblé") backgrounds, and 7 large woodcut illustrations, in addition to one repeated cut.
"Cy finist lhystoire de Josephus de la bataille Judaique trāslatee de Grec en Latin / et de Latin en Francoys. Et fut acomplye de Imprimer le huytiesme iour Do- / ctobre mil cinq cens z trēte par Nicolas Sauetier Imprimeur, Demourat / a Paris Rue des Carmes a lēseigne de lhome sauuage Pour / honnestes personnes Galliot du pre, Poncet le / preux, z Claude cheuallon Libraires / Aurez de Luniversite de / Paris."--Colophon.

Binding:

Contemporary Parisian black morocco gilt (340 x 230 mm), probably by the Salel Binder, two interlaced panels with leafy centrepiece and corner fleurons, outer gilt arabesque border, spine with small flower stamp in each compartment and later red morocco lettering-piece, traces of gilding on edges, stubs from two pairs of blue ties.

Variant Title:

Histoire escripte premierement en grec par Josephus le Juif ...

Provenance:

Calligraphic presentation inscription by Henry Knyvett to Anthony St Leger (both gentlemen of the Privy Chamber) on a vellum leaf bound at end, with painted and gilt armorials of St Leger and Knyvett at head, dated 12 June 1544; Stephen Potts (London bookseller on Aldersgate Street in the 1620s), note on rear flyleaf stating “I warrant this book to want noe leaves, June 162[1?]"; Lord Braybrooke, armorial bookplate (presumably Richard Griffin, 3rd Baron Braybrooke, 1783-1858); by descent to R.H.C. Neville (1932-2017), 10th Baron Braybrooke, sale of a selection of books from the library at Audley End, Sotheby's, 22-23 June 1970, lot 46 (catalogue extract pasted to inside front cover), £650, to Maggs; [Harry A. Levinson, Los Angeles, purchased from him in 1970 by]; Arthur and Charlotte Vershbow, booklabel, sale, Christie's New York, 9 April 2013, lot 28. acquisition: Purchased at the preceding sale; purchased by: T. Kimball Brooker, his sale: Sotheby's (London), Bibliotheca Brookeriana V, 10 Dec. 2024, lot 1132.

Catalog Link:

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Classification:

Binding Collection

Department:

Printed Books