Epistolae

Venice: Bernardinus Benalius, 1490. Part 1: 183 [of 184]; Part 2: 229 [of 230] leaves. [i iii]5 v4 a-p10 q-s8; v4 A10 B8 C-E10 F8 G12 GG2 H-Y10 Z9. Lacking first blank of Volume I and last blank of Volume II. 1 vols. Folio. 397 270 mm. Early (18th-c.?) vellum, marbled endpapers, edges stained red, covers with hand-drawn rules and central arabesque devices in ink. Upper joint split, but cords sound, covers soiled; first leaf soiled, first and last several leaves of both volumes with marginal waterstaining. A good, sturdy copy, lacking only the two blank leaves. Bookplate. Part 1: 183 [of 184]; Part 2: 229 [of 230] leaves. [i iii]5 v4 a-p10 q-s8; v4 A10 B8 C-E10 F8 G12 GG2 H-Y10 Z9. Lacking first blank of Volume I and last blank of Volume II. 1 vols. Folio. 397 270 mm. The Letters of St. Jerome, 1490. A fine, substantial edition of the voluminous letters of the fourth century scholar whose translation of the Bible from Hebrew into Latin became the received text of the Catholic Church. It has only appeared at auction in ABPC two times since 1975: once, disbound and lacking 10 leaves; and, in 1982, in a later leather binding with defective spine, "dampstained & wormed" with one leaf "scorched with loss of text". That copy nevertheless realized even then a price of over $1,000.

The Preface and Table are by Theodorus de Lellis; the latter, usually found in the second volume, is bound in this copy immediately after the Preface. Goff H172; HC 8560*; BMC V 372; BSB-Ink H-251; GW 12432; ISTC No.: ih00172000