De finibus bonorum et malorum
Venice: Vindelinus de Spira for Johannes de Colonia, 1471.
First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good Condition. Item #046885
ISBN: NoISBN
An early edition of Cicero's de finibus edited by Georgius Merula- either the editio princeps of this work, or the second after the Conradus Sweynheym edition of Cicero's Scripta Philisophica which also appeared in 1471, but in either case, the first stand alone edition - there was an undated edition by Ulrich Zel around 1471 that seems to have been a piracy of this de Spira edition (due to some identical errors). This edition dated [not after 9 Nov.] 1471. A substantial fragment rebound in 19th century leather backed boards, shaken, spine chipped. 52 of 93 leaves, lacking the 4 blanks, front and rear, colophon not present. Some scattered foxing, heavier in some of the margins, slight wear, contemporary marginalia throughout and a few manicules, some slightly trimmed.
Vindelinus de Spira had just taken over after his brother's untimely death - this Cicero is set in a very fine early Roman typeface, a lovely example. His brother, Johannes, had been given a 5 year monopoly on printing in Venice beginning in 1469 when he opened the cities first print shop, but he died the following year while printing just the fourth work, Augustine's De Civitate Dei.
Provenance: Old library stamp to first page. bookplate and ownership notes of noted collector George Benson Weston, including a note of when he bought this volume (Naples, 1952) ISTC ic00565000, Goff C565; BMC V 157; Bod-inc C-289; GW 6885 Size: Octavo (8vo). Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: Under 1 kilo. Inventory No: 046885.
Price: $6,000.00