Lot 266
Beroladus, Philippus
Rare Books, Manuscripts & Photographs
Auction: Rare Books, Manuscripts & Photographs | 09 May 2007
Description
Declamatio philosophi medici oratoris. De optimo statu et principe. Bologna: Benedictus Hectoris, 1497. First edition, 4to., 38 unnumbered ll., *2 A-D8 E4, Roman letter, modern boards, minor marginal water stains and inkspots to some leaves, small contemporary drawing beneath colophon
Footnote
Note: BML VI 844; Goff B473; Brunet I p. 809; Klebs 182.1; Wellcome 810. This edition not in Adams, Graesse, Osler or Durling.
First edition of these two pamphlets by the humanist Filippo Beroaldo. The first one contains a dispute between three brothers - a philosopher, a physician and an orator - whose father has bequeathed his patrimony to the one whose profession is the most useful to society, but it is of course the orator who gets the inheritance because, even though his profession is probably least useful, he is best at defending it (this was a literary device Beroaldus used to good effect in different works on a number of occasions). The second pamphlet is an early treastise on statecraft treatise. Filippo Beroaldo (1453-1505) opened a school in his home town Bologna when he was only nineteen. Later he became Professor of Letters at the University, a job he held until his death.