BOETHIUS, Anicius Manlius Severinus

Boetius de Consolatione [Philosophiae] & De Disciplina Scholarium

Impressis venetiis [Venice], per Joanne[m] de Forlivio & Gregoriu[m] fratres [Giovanni and Gregorio de Gregori de Forlivio], 10 February 1497 (first thus).

Small folio, [4], 92 leaves, text in two columns, with numerous woodcut initials; leaf 85 misnumbered 87; numerous blank initial spaces with guide-letters.

Early blind-tooled quarter leather over wooden boards (likely a northern Italian binding), sensitively rebacked; remnants of old leather clasps; parchment linings; minor worming to the second half of the volume; marginal dampstains (generally faint, more evident towards the end); early ink annotations (in Latin) to half a dozen early pages; a few minor tears, chips and creases at the edges of some leaves; some finger-soiling and other minor signs of age and use; in very good condition.

An early incunable edition of Boethius' 'De consolatione philosophiae' (On the Consolation of Philosophy), together with the 'De disciplina scholarium' of Pseudo-Boethius, and with commentary by Pseudo-Thomas Aquinas. The prologue commences with a 17-line woodcut historiated initial P showing a monk at work in a scriptorium.

Boethius wrote this classic work of philosophy while imprisoned by Theodoric the Great in 523, awaiting execution for treason. Its continued popularity throughout the Middle Ages proved an important link between classical learning and mediaeval Christian thought.

BMC V IB.21128 'Types: 130 (150) G.; 90 G.; 68G ... Four elegiac couplets preceding the colophon (Consiliabar item, etc.) give the name CONRADVS in an acrostic. This, together with the phrasing of the colophon, appears to derive the present edition from that printed by Locatellus for Scotus, ix, kal. ian., 1489) ... This book was reissued on 8 July, 1499, as part of a collection of Boethius's works'. GW 04512 (3). Goff B-768 (III).

Item #143570

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Status: Reserved