TERENCE. Lot n° 28

[Comœdiæ]. Terentius cum quattuor commentis : videlicet Donati Guidonis Calphurnii & Ascensii. Venice, Lazzaro Soardi, 7 November 1499. In-folio, fawn calf, spine decorated with gilt fillets, red title page, decorated edges, red borders (English binding of the early 19th century). Last incunabula edition of Terence published by Lazzaro Soardi, after those of 1494 and 1497. Printed in two sizes of Roman type, it includes the text established by the humanist printer Josse Bade and his commentary, to which it joins those of Donat, Giovanni Calfurnio and Guy Jouenneaux, forming an important critical apparatus framing the text of Terence. The woodcut illustration consists of two large full-page figures and 152 vignettes in the text, which were already included in the 1497 edition. On the last leaf is the black background mark of Lazzaro Soardi. The two full-page engravings show Terence in the pulpit surrounded by his commentators (f. 1) and the interior of an ancient theatre (f. 5), whose spectators are dressed in 15th-century Venetian fashion. According to Essling, "these two large woodcuts are among the most beautiful illustrations of this period, not excluding even those of Poliphilo's Dream; the style is of a skill and breadth that has not been surpassed by any contemporary artist." The vignettes are imitated from the Lyon edition given in 1493 by Jean Trechsel, though adapted to the Venetian style. From the libraries of William Longfield, with bookplate, and John C. Bigham, Viscount Mersey (1840-1929), at Bignor Park, with bookplate. Joints cracked, headpieces damaged and slight spotting; scattered stains and foxing, quite present on initial 20 ff., small hole on f. 2, worm gallery in margin of ff. 102-112, running title partly trimmed on a few leaves, 13 blank ff. bound in at beginning and end of volume. ISTC, it00103000 - HR, 15430 - Goff, T103 - Pr, 5625 - BMC, V, 491 - GW, M45544 - Sander, n°7199 - Essling, n°866.