PBA Galleries

[16], 665 pp. 10.5 x 16 cm (4 x 6.25 in); a-b8; A-Z8; Aa-Ss8; Tt4. Collates complete, without censorship markings or excisions. (8vo) full modern vellum, gilt-lettered spine, new endpapers. Second edition.

Commentaries on 13 epistles are an orthodox revision by Cassiodorus Senator and his pupils of a commentary by Pelagius. Good antiquarian condition in modern full vellum over boards, flat spined, double-ruled in gilt, forming four compartments, titled in gilt in the second compartment; 33 lines in single columns, primarily in Latin in a fine upright Roman type, with some passages in Greek, decorated throughout with historiated woodcut initials; horizontal catchwords, pagination, signature marks and headlines; title leaf soiled and somewhat darkened with previous ownership signature of Henry Blick, dated October 1804, else with the textblock still very fresh and fine.  Very rare printing that was so heavily suppressed that its only chance of publication was under the falsified authorship of Primasius, Bishop of Hadruetum, rather than credited to it author Pelagius. This is the 2nd of 3 editions and the only complete one as neither the 1537 nor 153 editions include the complete "Christianissimo ac pientissimo Galliarum regi Franciso I Ioannes Gagneius Parisinus Theologum salutem: primasii vita ex Ioanne Trithemio" at the introduction. Adams, (Catalog of Books Printed on the Continent of Europe, 1501-1600: P-2095; Examples located by WorldCat: 3, none complete - OCLC Accession Number 21573068.