BUDÉ, Guillaume. Libri V. de asse, et partibibus eius.
Venice, Aldus Manutius and Andrea Asulani, 1522.
£ 5,000
4to, ff. (xii) 263 (i), aa8 2b4 a-t8 u6 A-N8. Italic letter, some Greek, a little Roman. Aldine device on title and final leaf, light dampstain to lower fore-corner of d1 onwards but generally clean. Bound in C19th vellum, spine gilt-tooled with gilt black morocco lettering label. Very occasional light soiling and thumb marks. A clean, crisp and wide-margined copy printed on thick paper.
First and only Aldine edition of this work concerning Roman coinage, weights, and measures by the French humanist Guillaume Budé. The Aldine edition was revised and amended by the author and commissioned by the famous bibliophile Jean Grolier (1479 – 1565), who sent a copy of the book with his indications to Francesco Asula. Budé’s ‘De Asse’ contributed to his popularity. In this book, the author included a plea for humanists to accompany their studies with that of the Bible and theology.
Provenance: George Fortescue, of Boconnoc and Dropmore (1791-1877), blindstamped arms (and ink shelfmark “102 V”) on upper cover.
Bibliography:Adams B3101; Ahmanson-Murphy 212; Renouard 94:3.