PRISCIANUS. Printed by V. de Spira. 1470.  Folio.  Editio princeps.  A beautiful, large, white, and crackling copy, in the original wooden binding.  Is one word further necessary to say that a finer copy, upon paper, cannot exist?

PRISCIANUS. Printed by Ulric Han. Folio.  With the metrical version of Dionysius de Situ Orbis at the end.  This is a very rare book.  The fount of Greek letters clearly denotes it to come from a press at Rome, and that press was assuredly Ulric Han’s.  This appears to have been Gaignat’s copy, and is sound and desirable, but not so fine as the copy of this edition in the library of Goettwic Monastery.

PTOLEMAEUS.  Lat. Printed at Bologna. 1462.  Folio.  There can be no doubt of this date being falsely put for 1472 or even 1482.  But this is a rare book to possess, with all the copper plates, which this copy has—­and it is moreover a fine copy.

PTOLEMAEUS. Printed by Buckinck. 1478.  Folio.  Another fine and perfect copy of a volume of considerable rarity, and interest to the curious in the history of early engraving.

TURRECREMATA I. de.  MEDITATIONES. Printed by Ulric Han. 1467.  Folio.  This wonderfully rare volume is justly shewn among the “great guns” of the Imperial Library.  It was deposited here by the late Mr. Edwards; and is considered by some to be the first book printed at Rome, and is filled with strange wood-cuts.[127] The text is uniformly in the large gothic character of Ulric Han.  The French were too sensible of the rarity and value of this precious book, to suffer it to remain upon the shelves of the Imperial library after their first triumphant visit to Vienna; and accordingly it was carried off, among other book trophies, to Paris—­from whence it seems, naturally as it were, to have taken up its present position.  This is a very fine copy; bound in blue morocco, with the cuts uncoloured.  It measures thirteen inches and a quarter, by very nearly nine and a quarter:  being, what may be fairly called, almost its pristine dimensions.  Whenever you visit this library, ask to see, among the very first books deserving of minute inspection, this copy of the Meditations of John de Turrecremata:  but, remember—­a yet finer copy is within three stones-throw of Buckingham Palace!

VALTURIUS DE RE MILITARI. 1472.  Folio.  Edit.  Prin.  A fine, clean copy; in red morocco binding.  Formerly, in the collection of Prince Eugene.  Such a hero, however, should have possessed it UPON VELLUM!—­although, of the two copies of this kind which I have seen, neither gave me the notion of a very fine book.

BOOKS IN THE ITALIAN LANGUAGE.

Bella (La) Mono. Without name of Printer. 1474.  Quarto.  This is the first time of my inspecting the present volume; of which the printer is not known—­but, in all probability, the book was printed at Venice.  It is executed in a round, tall, roman letter.  This is a cropt and soiled, but upon the whole, a desirable copy:  it is bound in red morocco, and was formerly Prince Eugene’s.