ARISTOPHANE. Comoediæ novem (græce). Venice, Aldus... Lot 5

ARISTOPHANE. Comoediæ novem (græce). Venice, Aldus Manutius, 15 July 1498; in-folio of 347 ff. the boards and the smooth spine entirely decorated with compartments, fillets and cold patterns, on the upper board name and title pushed in cold, original gilt and antiquilt edges. PRINCEPS EDITION AND ONLY INCUNABLE EDITION OF THE WORKS OF ARISTOPHANY, published by Marco Musuro, an Italian humanist of Greek origin. This superb volume printed in Greek by Aldus Manutius with large initials and woodcuts was considered by Ambroise-Firmin Didot as a LITERARY AND TYPOGRAPHICAL MONUMENT. - Reproduced on the next page. The prefacer Musuro anticipates that the scholars of his day will welcome the appearance of the book with enthusiasm. As for Aldus, the printer, in the dedicatory epistle to D. Clary, states that St. John Chrysostom was so fond of Aristophanes that he that he used a manuscript of his works as a pillow. Folio [149] is slightly shorter. Hain-Copinger, 1656*. - Pellechet, 1174. - Renouard, p. 16. - Brit. Mus. V, 559. - Proctor, 5566. - Polain, no. 288. - IGI, 790. - GW, 2333. - Goff, A-958.