Search Results: 16th century works from E C Books

Antverpiae [Antwerp]: Ex officina Christophori Plantini Architypographi Regii, 1580 An extremely scarce original copy in soft cover vellum binding, printed and published by Christopher Plantin and with his printer's device on the title page. This work is a contemporary account of events in the Netherlands during the period of armed rebellion against the rule of Philip II of Spain and its subsequent repression. The activities of Mathias (Holy Roman Emperor), who was invited to be Governor of the Netherlands in 1577, in promoting a Catholic revival have been said to be contributory to the Thirty Years War. The work was edited by Aggaeus Van Albada, an extremely able who was principal speaker for the Netherlands at the peace talks that followed the rebellion. Christopher Plantin, whose major printing house was in Antwerp, suffered personally in the conflict - only saving his business from destruction by paying ransoms to the Spanish soldiers. This copy is in a full vellum soft binding. The boards… Read More

Heidelberg: In Officina Sanctandreana, 1590 A fair copy of the unauthorised 2nd edition of Manili's Astronomicon with Scaligeri's commentary. This edition was completed with an additional section of notes by Francisco Ivni Biturigis and was issued without Scaligeri's approval (he issued his own 2nd edition shortly afterwards). The work is in 3 parts: the original Astronomicon in 5 books; Scaligeri's commentary; and the additional Biturigis notes bound at the end. This copy is bound in an old card binding with an added spine of some tape-like material and a largely unreadable paper label. The binding is sound but very worn. The front endpaper has some old ink scribbling, a crossed out signature and some numbers. The stitching is splitting between the front endpaper and the title page, which a couple of pasted over areas and some old writing. Contents: title with decorative printer's device; dedication 3pp; poems 4pp (all present but some loose); blank; index 4pp; text pp 1-136 in 5 books; finis;… Read More

At London printed in Aldergate Street at the signe of the Starre: John Harrison, George Bishop, Rafe Newberie, Henrie Denham and Thomas Woodcocke, 1587 A good copy of the 2nd edition of Holinshed's Chronicles. This edition lacks the extensive woodcuts found in the 1st edition but has beautiful initial capitals and head and tailpieces. Volumes I and II are bound together; Volume III is a single volume. All have been rebound in half calf with gilt lining and title label to spine and marbled boards. Bookplates from the Skipworth family of Newbold-Revel in Warwickshire dating from 1704 through to 1884, have been relaid on the front endpapers of both volumes. Vol I/II has worming. The animals in question have gone vertically through the text block and so little text has been lost, apart from a solitary sideways saunter in the Irish section from p 41 through to p 1 of the Irish History where there loss of some words. Vols I/II are complete apart from lacking the title page to the Description of Ireland and… Read More

Fleetestrete, within Temple Barre, at the Signe of the Hand and Starre, London: Richarde Totteli, 1587 A good to very good copy of Richard Tottel's 1587 publication of Magna Charta with associated statutes. Richard Tottel (spelt in a variety of forms including Tottill and Tottell) was an English publisher specialising in legal publications, for which he was granted a patent in1553. He issued several editions of Magna Charta: this one is similar to his 1576 publication but appears to be longer (by 3 pp). The publication is in Latin, French and English. This copy is bound in full leather, retaining the contemporary boards and adding a new plain spine with raised bands. The old title label has been remounted. Internally there is an armorial bookplate of Thomas Dawson to the front pastedown. The old endpapers have been retained with repair at the joints. Contents: initial blank; title; To the Reader 2pp; Table I 3pp; Table II 8pp; blank; Text pp 1-250 (numbered on recto only); final leaf - imprinted… Read More

Coloniae: Heronem Alopeciu, 1522 An extremely scarce early edition published in September 1522 - a month after the authorised Basel edition - by Hero Alopecius in Cologne. We have only been able to find one reference to it (University of Toronto). Erasmus arranged publication of the Basel edition in August 1522, in response to the appearance of an unauthorised version in Cambridge in 1521. He had originally worked on the content in 1509-1511, and this work, developed from his earlier writing and lectures, became a popular and important text book on the writing of letters. It was much reprinted. This copy is newly rebound in full calf with panelled design to boards and gilt titles to spine. The page edges are red although this may not be contemporary. New endpapers. Contents with 2 initial blanks - the first with ink notation on the edition - this looks likely to be 1800's in date and the paper does not look contemporary. Title with elaborate design including 2 cherubs holding a shield with 3 crowns… Read More

Francoforti: Ex officina Petri Brubachii, 1549 An extremely rare work. Johannes Sacrobosco’s Tractatus de Sphaera, first written around 1230 and first printed around 1472, set the framework for European understanding of astronomy for 400 years. Based on the work of Ptolemy Alfraganus, and using more recent Arabic sources, he presented a vision of the heavens as a series of enveloping spheres. The tables in his work are an almanac relating the 'rising' and 'setting' of celestial spheres with respect to the calendar. As this work presented the stars in terms of constellations, it also became of value to astrologers. In this setting the Earth is also a sphere, at the centre of the universe, around which the spheres of the heavens rotate. It was copied many times in the 15th and 16th centuries - sometimes as a whole text, and sometimes in the form of 'Quaestiones'. This version by Hartmann Beyer is in the latter form. Beyer (1516-1577) was a mathematician, theologian and… Read More