Book Details

Author: Eusebius of Caesarea:

Title: Ecclesiasticae historiae: Eusebii Pamphili lib. X; eiusdem de vita Constantini lib. V; Socratis lib. VII; Theodoriti episcopi Cyrensis lib. V; collectaneorum ex historia eccles. Theodori Lectoris lib. II; Hermii Sozomeni lib. IX; Euagrii lib. VI.

Publication: Lutetiae Parisiorum [Paris]: Ex officina Roberti Stephani typographi Regii, Regiis typis, 1544.

Description: Editio princeps. Folio, ff.[iv], 361 [misnumbered 353], 181, [v]. P5 blank as usual. Robert Estienne's basilisk device (B1) to title, device 10 on final leaf. Large engraved initials and head-pieces. Without ffep. Quite large repair to title-page but text unaffected, generally very clean and bright. Later simple dark brown calf, raised bands, single gilt tool to each compartment, double line gilt border to boards, edges sprinkled red. Lightly but comprehensively scuffed, loss to headcap, joints rubbed, corners bumped and one frayed, good. To front pastedown, a bookplate with coat of arms apparently of Thomas Augustus Wolstenholme Parker, 6th Earl of Macclesfield (1811-1896), 'North Library' and the printed date 1860.

Editio princeps, printed by Robert Estienne. Also in 1544 Estienne printed Eusebius's De evangelica praeparatione and De evangelica demostratione in the same stylish Greek typeface, Claude Garamond's 'Grec du roi'. Decorations and initials were designed by Geoffroy Tory. Dibdin describes this edition as a 'beautiful book', and observes that 'the first printed edition of the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius was in the Latin tongue, from the version of Rufinus, and published by Ketelaer and De Leempt in 1474'. The volume contains sources for the history of the late antique period, written by Eusebius in the 320s. 'When Fran?ois I appointed Robert Estienne his new Printer in Greek, in 1542, he also commissioned Claude Garamond to cut a new Greek font intended specifically to be used to print Greek books from unpublished Greek manuscripts in the Royal Library at Fontainebleau. These new Royal Greek types, known as "grecs du roi", were based by Garamond on the script of the Cretan Angelo Vergecio, a well-known calligrapher in the employ of Fran?ois I. These cursive Greek types are universally acknowledged as the finest ever cut. The first text selected for printing in the first font of the Royal Greek types was the great "Ecclesiatical History" of Eusebius, from manuscripts in the Royal Library. The volume marks the first appearance of a full text in the first font of the "grecs du roi" and is the first major Greek text produced by Estienne as King's Printer in Greek. This is also the first book in which appear the splendid matching initials and headpieces, which are considered "among the best of the printed decorations used in the sixteenth century" (Updike).' (Schreiber, pp.76)

Bibliography: Schreiber, 77; Dibdin I, 194-5.

Reference Number: [55049]

Price: £2500

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	Author: Eusebius of Caesarea: Title: Ecclesiasticae historiae: Eusebii Pamphili lib. X; eiusdem de vita Constantini lib. V; Socratis lib. VII; Theodoriti episcopi Cyrensis lib. V; collectaneorum ex historia eccles. Theodori Lectoris lib. II; Hermii Sozomeni lib. IX; Euagrii lib. VI. Publication: Lutetiae Parisiorum [Paris]: Ex officina Roberti Stephani typographi Regii, Regiis typis, 1544. Description: Editio princeps. Folio, ff.[iv], 361 [misnumbered 353], 181, [v]. P5 blank as usual. Robert Estienne's basilisk device (B1) to title, device 10 on final leaf. Large engraved initials and head-pieces. Without ffep. Quite large repair to title-page but text unaffected, generally very clean and bright. Later simple dark brown calf, raised bands, single gilt tool to each compartment, double line gilt border to boards, edges sprinkled red. Lightly but comprehensively scuffed, loss to headcap, joints rubbed, corners bumped and one frayed, good. To front pastedown, a bookplate with coat of arms apparently of Thomas Augustus Wolstenholme Parker, 6th Earl of Macclesfield (1811-1896), 'North Library' and the printed date 1860. Editio princeps, printed by Robert Estienne. Also in 1544 Estienne printed Eusebius's De evangelica praeparatione and De evangelica demostratione in the same stylish Greek typeface, Claude Garamond's 'Grec du roi'. Decorations and initials were designed by Geoffroy Tory. Dibdin describes this edition as a 'beautiful book', and observes that 'the first printed edition of the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius was in the Latin tongue, from the version of Rufinus, and published by Ketelaer and De Leempt in 1474'. The volume contains sources for the history of the late antique period, written by Eusebius in the 320s. 'When Fran?ois I appointed Robert Estienne his new Printer in Greek, in 1542, he also commissioned Claude Garamond to cut a new Greek font intended specifically to be used to print Greek books from unpublished Greek manuscripts in the Royal Library at Fontainebleau. These new Royal Greek types, known as "grecs du roi", were based by Garamond on the script of the Cretan Angelo Vergecio, a well-known calligrapher in the employ of Fran?ois I. These cursive Greek types are universally acknowledged as the finest ever cut. The first text selected for printing in the first font of the Royal Greek types was the great "Ecclesiatical History" of Eusebius, from manuscripts in the Royal Library. The volume marks the first appearance of a full text in the first font of the "grecs du roi" and is the first major Greek text produced by Estienne as King's Printer in Greek. This is also the first book in which appear the splendid matching initials and headpieces, which are considered "among the best of the printed decorations used in the sixteenth century" (Updike).' (Schreiber, pp.76) Bibliography: Schreiber, 77; Dibdin I, 194-5. Reference Number: [55049] Price: £2500 enquire << Back
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