Would you believe it—­nearly one half of the illumination, at top, has been sliced away?  The vellum is beautifully delicate, but unluckily not uniformly white.  Slight, but melancholy, indications of the worm are visible at the beginning—­which do not, however, penetrate a great way.  Yet, towards the end, the ravages of this book-devourer are renewed:  and the six last leaves exhibit most terrific evidences of his power.  This volume is bound in gay green morocco—­with water-tabby pink lining.

BUDAEUS.  COMMENT.  GR.  LING. 1529.  Folio.  Francis the First’s own copy—­and UPON VELLUM!  You may remember that this book was slightly alluded to at the commencement of a preceding letter.  It is indeed a perfect gem, and does one’s heart good to look at it.  Budaeus was the tutor of Francis, and I warrant that he selected the very leaves, of which this copy is composed, for his gallant pupil.  Old Ascensius was the printer:  which completes the illustrious trio.  The illuminations, upon the rectos of the first and second leaves, are as beautiful as they are sound.  Upon the whole, this book may fairly rank with any volume in either of the vellum sets of the Aldine Aristotle.  It is bound in red morocco; a little too gaudily.

CICERONIS ORATIONES. Printed by Valdarfer. 1471:  Folio.  Still revelling among VELLUM copies of the early classics.  This is a fine book, but it is unluckily imperfect.  I should say that it was of large and genuine dimensions, did not a little close cropping upon the first illuminated page tell a different tale.  It measures twelve inches and six eighths, by eight inches and a half.  Upon the whole, though there be a few uncomfortably looking perforations of the worm, this is a very charming copy.  Its imperfections do not consist of more than the deficiency of one leaf, which contains the table.

OVIDII OPERA OMNIA. Printed by Azoguidi. 1471.  Folio. 3 vols.  The supposed FIRST EDITION, and perhaps (when complete)[80] the rarest Editio Princeps in existence.  The copy before me partakes of the imperfection of almost every thing earthly.  It wants two leaves:  but it is a magnificent, and I should think unrivalled, copy—­bating such imperfection.  It measures very nearly thirteen inches and a quarter, by little more than eight inches three quarters.  It is bound in red morocco.

AESOPUS.  Latine. Printed by Dom. de Vivaldis, &c. 1481.  Folio.  A most singular volume—­in hexameter and pentameter, verses.  To every fable is a wood cut, quite in the ballad style of execution, with a back-ground like coarse mosaic work.  The text is printed in a large clumsy gothic letter.  The present is a sound copy, but not free from stain.  Bound in blue morocco.

AESOPUS.  Italice. Edited by Tuppi. 1485.  Folio.  A well known and highly coveted edition:  but copies are very rare, especially when of goodly dimensions.  This is a large and beautiful book; although I observe that the border, on the right margin of the first leaf, is somewhat cut away.  The graphic art in this volume has a very imposing appearance.