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Manchester. The John Rylands Library, Aldine Collection, 20957

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Source
Manchester Digital Collections
Library
The John Rylands Library
Shelfmark
  • 20957
Biblissima authority file
Date
  • 1501
Language
  • Italian
Title
  • Le cose volgari di Messer Francesco Petrarcha.. (Canzoniere e trionfi | Rerum vulgarium fragmenta | Trionfi | Triumphi)
Agent
Description
  • Extent:
    [188] leaves, 15 cm. (8vo) Leaf height: mm, width: mm.
    Binding:

    Considerably trimmed, possibly in the early seventeenth-century; the evidence of gum stains on what would have been former paste-downs reveals a previous binding existed. Since Vorstius wrote on what would have been the gummed-down side of one of these in 1652, it can be supposed that the work had been rebound by then. The positioning of Vorstius's writing, and that of subsequent owners, suggest that the trimming had taken place prior to 1652, and hence probably at the time of binding. The sequence appears to be: Bembo's binding removed and the volume trimmed early in the seventeenth-century, when additional vellum leaves were added before and after the original fly-leaves; the volume was bound again probably in the late eighteenth-century; see Bulletin of the John Rylands Library of Manchester, Vol. 55, no. 2, (1973) pp. 255-256.

    Eighteenth or nineteenth-century full straight-grained red morocco; double gilt fillet and inter-twined foliage and bars to form a border; gilt-tooled board edges and turn-ins; marbled end-papers; detached pink ribbon bookmark loose between leaves h7 and h8; four raised bands to spine; gilt-tooled within compartments; direct-lettered in gilt in second compartment: Petrarca; all edges gilt; nineteenth-century gilt monogram of The John Rylands Library (JR in roundel) stamped on front cover.


    Decoration:

    Illuminated initials thoughout.


    Acquisition:

    Part of the Spencer library acquired by Enriqueta Rylands in 1892 from John Poyntz Spencer (1835-1910), 5th Earl Spencer for The John Rylands Library


    Data Source(s):

    Created as part of the project 'Petrarch Commentary and Exegesis in Renaissance Italy, c.1350-c.1650' funded by the AHRC and led by Professor Simon Gilson (University of Oxford, Principal Investigator), Dr Federica Pich (University of Leeds, Co-Investigator) and Dr Guyda Armstrong (University of Manchester, Co-Investigator), edited and revised by Julianne Simpson


    Subject(s):
    Noves, Laura de, 1308?-1348.; Italian poetry -- 14th century -- Early works to 1800.; Illumination of books and manuscripts -- Specimens.
    Abstract:

    The Rerum vulgarium fragmenta and Triumphi edited by Pietro Bembo. Printed by Aldus Manutius in Venice with a colophon dated July 1501.

    Following the success of the octavo edition of the works of Virgil in 1501, the Aldine Press published a collection of Petrarch’s vernacular works in the same format, also printed in italic. Le cose volgari di messer Francesco Petrarcha was printed in Venice in July 1501, having been edited by the humanist scholar, Pietro Bembo. A letter from Lorenzo da Pavia dated 26 July 1501 informs us that fifteen copies were printed on parchment and would cost no less than 5 ducats. The John Rylands Library possesses three copies of this edition, two on parchment and the third on paper. Both parchment copies are from the Spencer Collection, one bearing the arms of the influential Barbarigo family (15442), the other with Bembo’s arms (20957).

    Bembo’s copy is of particular interest, not only because it contains some of Bembo’s original marginal annotations, but also because of its colourful history. After Bembo’s death in 1547, his copy of Petrarch was probably passed onto his illegitimate son, Torquato. According to Cecil Clough, writing in the 1970s, the copy was likely stolen from Bembo’s library in Padua around 1585 by Troiano Boccalini. It then passed on to Achille Cromer later that year, and was subsequently donated by him to Charles Clusius. When Clusius died, the book was passed to Franciscus Raphelengius, publisher and Professor of Hebrew at the University of Leiden. In October 1652, Bembo’s Petrarch was in possession of Professor Adolf Vorstius, who lent it to Graf Gustaf Adam Banér. It was returned to Vorstius and subsequently left in his will to noted philologist and geographer, Jean Läet of Antwerp. By the 1800s, the copy was in possession of the Duke of Cassano Serra of Naples, having previously been owned by Dr. Niccolò Francesco Lupi da Gravina of Rome. It was purchased by Spencer in 1819, along with the rest of the Cassano’s library.


    Foliation:

    MS ink folio numbers on recto of leaves, cropped.


    Format:
    Codex
    Material:
    Printed on parchment.
    Provenance:

    Illuminated armorial crest of Pietro Bembo (1470-1547) at foot of sig. a2 recto [cropped].

    Marginal annotations on sigs. a3v, c1v, f5r, g8r, h1v, k3r, n7r, o6v, p5r, r1r, s1v; trimming on the pages on rebinding has resulted in the loss of some portions of the annotations; some of these may be in the hand of Pietro Bembo, identified by C.H. Clough: see Bulletin of the John Rylands Library of Manchester, Vol. 55, no. 2, (1973), pp. 253-58.

    MS inscription on sig. A8 recto [according to Renouard, in the hand of P. Bembo]: Petri B. de simulachro F. P. / Se como qui la frôte honesta et graue / Del sacro almo Poeta, / Che dun bel lauro colse etēna palma, / Cosi uedeste anchor lo spirto et lalma, / Stella si chiara et lieta, / Diresti, certo jl ciel tutto no haue. / et altro / Tu ch̄ uieni a mirā lhonesta & graue / Sembianza del divin nīo Pēta / Pensa se'n questa il tuo desio s'acq̄ta / Quanto fu il uedē lui dolze et soaue.

    MS pencil inscription on sig. A8 recto below manuscript notes of P. Bembo: According to Cecil H. Clough of Birmingham the above is not the handwriting of Bembo; see Renouard, 3rd ed, 1834 p 29 DWR [David W. Riley] 2.2.65.

    From the library of Torquato Bembo: at Pietro's death [1547] the library came to his son Torquato and was gradually sold off; see Clough, Cecil H., Pietro Bembo’s Library represented in the British Museum In: The British Museum Quarterly, Vol. 30, no.1/2 (Autumn 1965) pp. 3-17.

    Eighteenth-century MS inscription on front fly-leaf verso: Grazia d[e] Luna.

    MS inscription on fourth front free end-paper recto: Questo Libro donai all' Ill.mo ecc.mo Sig.r Conte, il Sig.r Mio oss.mo Gustavo Adamo Baner Adolfo Vorstio Professore de Medicina e Rettore Mag.re della Vniversita di Leÿden. Alli 27 d'Ottobre. dell' anno 1652.

    MS inscription on fourth front free end-paper recto: Prometto a S. S.ria se non lo daro alla mia Regina non lo haura nessuno G. A. Baner.

    MS inscription on fourth front free end-paper verso: Librum Eunc tamquã nobilissimu palladium ab infinitis quibus passim scatet uulgati codices, mendis ab ipso Petro Bembo expurgatu. ego J. Traianus Boccalinus furatus sum inter co piosissimã ipsius Bembi li brorū farraginem.

    MS inscription on fourth front free end-paper verso: Hunc verò unc suum esse asserit Carolus / Clusius A. ex dono D. Achillis Cromeri Nissensis Silesij ex Italia reducis Viennam XIII. kl. Iul. M. D. LXXXV.

    MS inscription on fourth front free end-paper verso: Ex legato autem nunc habet D. Fr. Raphelengij aui a Car. Clusio acceperat. Ioannes de Laet. Adolfo Vorstio moriens reliquit D. I. de Laet, vir ammicissi.

    In 1700 the book was in Rome, owned by Dr. Niccolò Francesco Lupi da Gravina: see Bulletin of the John Rylands Library of Manchester, Vol. 55, no. 2, (1973) p. 258 and Renouard, A.A., Annales de l’imprimerie des Alde (3rd edition, 1834), 28:5.

    Eighteenth-century MS inscription at head of title-page recto: D Mario de Viva R[?].

    Probably from the library of the Duke of Cassano, of Naples [i.e. Luigi Cassano Serra (1747-1825), 4th Duke of Cassano, Marquess of Rivadebro]; Renouard, A.A., Annales de l’imprimerie des Alde (3rd edition, 1834), 28:5 says Lord Spencer has a copy of this edition on vellum, which came from the Duke of Cassano, Naples.

    Armorial bookplate of The John Rylands Library 1894 on front paste-down; from the collection of George John, 2nd Earl Spencer (1758-1834).

    MS inscription on second front free end-paper recto: questo.

    MS inscription [partially erased and illegible] at head of fourth front free end-paper verso.

    MS inscription at head of title-page recto [erased] with one word written in its place: Tandem.

    The words "Nobile Venetiano, & da lui, doue bisogno è stato, riueduto et racconosciuto" in the colophon have been blocked out in ink, and later cleaned.

    MS inscription on sig. A8 verso: DTUGADF/ DMOCV / FP / DICDMI / NDM / CDSMIRDPB / NPPA / DIA / PDIN / OTMISG.

    MS inscription on fourth free rear end-paper verso: Come.

    MS inscription on rear fly-leaf recto: dio mio.


    Note(s):

    Signatures: a-y⁸, z⁴, A⁸. (z4 and A8 blank)

    Imprint taken from colophon.

    Colophon on sig.z3 verso reads: Impresso in Vinegia nelle case d’Aldo Romano, nel anno MDI del mese di Luglio, et tolto con sommissima diligenza dallo scritto di mano medesima del Poeta, hauuto da M. Piero Bembo nobile Venetiano, & dallui doue bisogno è stato, riueduto et racconosciuto; Con la concessione della Illustrissima signoria nostra, che per x anni nessuno possa stampare il Petrarcha sotto le pene che in lei si contengono.

    Second issue, on vellum, with text added to colophon after Bembo's name: nobile Venetiano, & dallui doue bisogno è stato, riueduto et racconosciuto. It is thought that only 15 copies were produced.

    A variant of this edition has gathering B added after the work was issued. This was in reply to criticisms of the edition, and comprises a letter from Aldus the Elder to the reader, and errata (leaves B3 verso - B4 recto).

    First Italian book printed in Aldus’ italic type, which, like his Greek and Roman types, had been cut by Francesco Griffo.

    Petrarch’s poems in italic type, printed with one verse per line; no printed numbering; capital spaces with guide-letters.

    Includes index of first lines (gathering A).

    MS ink folio numbers on recto of leaves are found on most copies. These appear to have been added by the Aldine press; see Clough, Cecil H., Pietro Bembo’s edition of Petrarch and his association with the Aldine Press, page 72 In: Aldus Manutius and Renaissance culture: essays in honour of Franklin Murphy.

    The words "Nobile Venetiano, & da lui, doue bisogno è stato, riueduto et racconosciuto" in the colophon have been blocked out in ink in many copies. It is likely that this insertion was an addition by Aldo which Bembo countermanded, and hence it was obliterated before the vellum sheets were issued; see Clough, Cecil H., Pietro Bembo’s edition of Petrarch and his association with the Aldine Press, page 74 In: Aldus Manutius and Renaissance culture: essays in honour of Franklin Murphy.

    The Rerum vulgarium fragmenta and Triumphi edited by Pietro Bembo.


    Publication:
    Impresso in Vinegia : Nelle case d’Aldo Romano, nel anno MDI del mese di Luglio [1501]
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