Bernardus Silvestris: Epistola de gubernatione rei familiaris.
[Rome: Georgius Lauer, ca. 1470]
4to. [14]. [4] leaves.
ISTC ib00376000; GW 3963; Goff B376; Polain(B) 613.
Often attributed to Bernardus Claravallensis. The true author is Bernardus Silvestris (Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche. 2 Aufl. (Freiburg 1957-67) 2, col.248) - ISTC.
| GIP number: | B33 |
| Shelf-mark: | Sp Coll Hunterian By.3.26 (see main library entry for this item) |
| Note: | 1/1r, line 1: the tentative reading “falici (?)” (rather than GW and Polain’s “felici”) in Copinger 5456 - whose transcription is based on this the Hunterian copy - is due to imperfectly printed letters caused by a paper flaw. |
| Variant: | 1/1r, line 4: “... gubernandę. Et” as in Polain(B), not “... gubernande. Et” as in GW. |
| Bound with: | The first of two incunabula bound together. Bound with: Poggius Florentinus, Facetiae. [Rome: Georgius Lauer, ca. 1470] (P79). |
| Provenance: | Reverendus Pater Johannes (16th/17th-century), possible owner: inscription on 10/10v (f.100v) of second item in volume “R[everendus] P[ater] Johannes [...]” Louis-Jean Gaignat (1697-1768), Secretary to King Louis XV: Gaignat sale, 1769; lot 2129 in Guillaume de Bure, Bibliographie instructive: supplément ... ou catalogue des livres de feu M. L.J. Gaignat (Paris: 1769). William Hunter (1718-1783), physician and anatomist: purchased by Hunter at the Gaignat sale through his agent, Jean-Baptiste Dessain, for 73 livres 1 sou; see Dessain-Hunter correspondence (University of Glasgow Library, MS Gen. 36, f. 25v). University of Glasgow: Hunterian bequest, 1807; Hunterian Museum bookplate on front pastedown, with former shelfmark “K.7.13”. |
| Binding: | France, 18th-century red goatskin; covers decorated with a triple gold-fillet border, a small gold fleuron at each corner, and a centre panel formed by triple gold fillets with a diamond-shaped floral ornament at each outer corner; gold-tooled spine; marbled endpapers; gilt edged leaves; green silk bookmark. Size: 223 x 160 mm. |
| Leaf size: | 216 x 152 mm. |
| Annotations: | Occasional underlining; manicules on 1/1r and 1/1v; partially deleted inscription (16th/17th century) in upper margin of 1/1r. |
| Decoration: | Two-line initial “G” on 1/1r supplied in red (now heavily faded); faded initial strokes in red on 1/1r. |
| Imperfections: | None. |
