Aldus. The recto of the first leaf presents us with the title and

printer's device * thus tastefully disposed.

There is an inscription (probably among many others with which the reader's classical learning will furnish him) similar to the lower compartment of the above, in Montfaucon's Diarium Italicum; p. 98.

Then follows, on the recto of the ensuing leaf, beneath an elegant frame-work in red, having NIKOAAOY on one side, and Tor ΒΛΑΣΤΟΥ on the other,

ΣΧΟΛΙΑ EIC TAC ΑΡΙΣΤΟΤΕΛΟΥΣ

ΠΛΙΚΙΟΥ ΔΙΔΑΣΚΑΛΟΥ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ.

with 28 lines of text ensuing, beneath. This is on sign. A ß. rect. On the reverse of Þ v. at bottom, is the colophon,

ΤΕΛΟΣ.

Το σιμπλικίου ὑπόπνημα εις τὰς δέκα κατηγορίας τοῦ ἀριστοτέλους, &c. with the name and date thus : ' τοῦ ἐυδενοῦς καὶ δοκίμου ἀνδρὸς, κυρίου Νικολάου Βλαςοῦ τοῦ κρητός. πόνω δὲ καὶ δεξιότητι, Ζαχαρίου καλλιέρδου τοῦ κρητός. των λογίων ἀνδρων χάριν, καὶ λόγων ἑλληνικων ἐφιεμεν. Ετει τῶ απο τῆς Χριστοῦ Γεννήσεως, Χιλιοστω, τετρακοσιοςῶ, ενενηκοςῶ ἐννάτω. Πυανεψιώνος, πέμπτη φθίνοντος.

On the recto of the following leaf is the register: with a Greek title in capital letters, in red, and the device of the double-necked eagle, with outspread wings, in black. A full page contains 37 lines. All the signatures have 8 leaves, except A, which has 10. Of the splendor of the capital initials, the red-ink borders, and other typographical particulars, something will be said under the articles of the same printer's publication of the Quinque Voces of Porphyrius, and the Etymologicon Magnum; vide post. Nothing can well exceed the condition and beauty of this magnificent volume. It is elegantly bound in russia.

125. ATHENÆUS. Gr. Printed by Aldus. Venice. 1514. Folio.

EDITIO PRINCEPS. The reader will be pleased to examine the Introd. to the Classics, vol. i. p. 199, for an account of the comparatively critical value of this impression, and receive the following as a correct bibliographical description of the arrangement of its contents.

On the recto of the first leaf is the title, in 27 lines in the shape of an hour-glass; except that the top is a good deal wider than the bottom. The Aldine anchor, unshaded, is beneath: On the reverse, the address of Aldus to Pannonius is in small italics. On the ensuing leaf, having a 3 at top and A 2 at bottom, it begins thus:

ΥΠΟΘΕΣΙΣ ΤΟΥ ΣΥΓΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΟΣ.

ΔΑΙΤΥΜΟΝΩΝ ΚΑΤΑΛΟΓΟΣ.

ΕΚ ΤΩΝ ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΥ ΔΕΙΠΝΟΣΟΦΙ

ΣΤΩΝ ΒΙΒΛΙΟΥ ΠΡΩΤΟΥ.

Then follows the 'Encomium Estiatori', in the form of a dialogue between Timocrates and Athenæus; having, on the reverse, the commencement of the first book. The pages are numbered at top with the Greek a prefixed. At page a 20, (falsely numbered 22) commences the second book, which terminates on the reverse of B 9 at page a 38. The third book is renumbered (p.) 1, on sign. a; and the paginary numbers then continue regularly to the end of the volume at p. 294; where we read

Omnes sunt quaterniones, exceptis A & B qui sunt quinterniones. & t ultimo qui est duernio.

VENETIIS APVD ALDVM, ET

ANDREAM SOCERVM

MENSE AVGVSTO.

M. D. XIIII.

On the reverse of the following leaf is the anchor, in outline. Renouard is interesting, but not more particular than the ensuing : L'Imprim. des Alde, vol. i. p. 112. The present is a clean beautiful copy, in calf binding.

126. AULUS GELLIUS. Printed by Sweynheym

and Pannartz. Rome. 1469. Folio.

EDITIO PRINCEPS. Having before* referred to numerous authorities in regard to the rarity and value of this impression, it remains only to request the reader to consult the interesting notice of it by Audiffredi, Edit. Rom. p. 19, in which the errors of Quirini and Schelhorn are corrected; and to add the following correct description.

A preface of 4 leaves and a half, or 9 pages, precedes the body of the work. The rev. of the 5th leaf is blank. On the recto of the 6th leaf, the 1st book begins with [P]Lutarchus in libro que,' &c. without any prefix. This page is here elegantly illuminated. A quantity of Greek is in the 3d page of the work, not very unlike the Subiaco Greek type, but somewhat sharper, as a comparison between the facsimile at p. 206, ante and the following one, may prove:

Introd, to the Classics; vol. i. p. 205.

οι η διαρτεμισ εισι κατονρεοσ ιοχέαιρα, η κατα την πετομ περιμηκετου κερύκαθορ. τερπομένη καπροισί και ωκνησ ελαφοσί τη δεδίαμα χονραι μνμ φαιδοσαι Γιόχοιο

The head titles of the books are uniformly omitted. On the recto of the last leaf of the work, we have the continuation of a set of verses, -ending thus, with the colophon beneath:

Nostra piis tuta est: fiditq; Thalia modestis
Iudicibus: si qua es inuida turba tace.
Sede Petri Veneto Paulo florente secundo
Egimus hec Rome. gratia summa deo.

Anno Christi. M.CCCC.lxix. Paulo regnante. ii. Anno eius. v. die uero. xi. mensis Aprilis. In domo Petri de Maximis.

Montibus it qualis studiosa Diana pharetre
Aut per Taygeti spatiosa iuga: aut Erymanthi
Et nunc gestit apro: nunc ceruo diua uolucri.
Stant circum nimphe agrestes Ioue celite nate.

lib. VII. ch. ix.

Palmer is deserving of quotation in regard to some information connected with the GREEK TYPE used in the present edition. I have already hinted (says he) their method of managing the Greek quotations, which they followed in the first volumes they printed, that is till the middle of the year 1469: perhaps were they forced to it for want of workmen to cut the Greek alphabet, but at length, notwithstanding the neglect of that tongue might have excused them from the labour and expense of procuring sets of punches and matrices for printing in that language, and the difficulty of finding workmen fit for such a task; they surmounted every obstacle of this nature, and formed a complete Greek alphabet which they used in the edition of AULUS GELLIUS. Concerning this edition the Bishop of Aleria speaks thus: However this proved a very arduous task at first—for a great part of the Latin was corrupted through the negligence of the transcribers, and a much greater part of the Greek depraved, maimed, and mutilated. Even that, which remained intire, was scarce understood by Latin scholars, by reason of their ignorance in Greek. Some attempts have been made by persons skilled in both tongues, to restore this jewel to its former lustre ; but they, either discouraged by the difficulty, or diverted by other affairs, desisted from the undertaking." Thus writes that learned prelate, who by the assistance of Theodore Gaza, a man of great abilities and universal learning, performed this admirable work, rectified the Latin text, and rendered the Greek intelligible. This edition was printed anno 1469 in a fine character, with the arguments to each book done in red by the illuminators. The quotations, which are long and more frequent, than any other author, are printed in a fair Greek character, considering this kind of printing was

A blank leaf follows. Then succeed the heads of the chapters of the books, in 14 leaves; ending at bottom of the reverse of the 14th, thus:

de noctium ordine. Caput undecimu. Atqui iucundiora.

A full page has 38 lines. The present is a large copy of a work of well known rarity; and is bound in red morocco.

127. AULUS GELLIUS. Printed by Jenson. Venice. 1472.

Clement has not bestowed exaggerated praise upon this impression, when he says that it surpasses the preceding one in the beauty of its typographical execution, and especially in that part of it which regards the Greek passages. Bibl. Curieuse; vol. ix. p. 117. The reader will have an opportunity, from the subjoined fac-simile of the latter, of drawing his own conclusion. The work commences on the recto of the first leaf, at top:

AVLI GELII NOCTIVM ATTICARVM COMMENTARII
CAPITVLA PRIMI LIBRI.

These capitulary heads are the same as at the end of the Edit. Prin.: terminating on the reverse of the 14th leaf, nearly at top. On the recto of the ensuing and 15th leaf,

AVLI GELII NOCTIVM ATTICARVM COMMENTARII
LIBER PRIMVS.

Lutarchus in libro quem ὁπόση ψυχῶν και σωμάτων άνθρωποις περὶ ἐυφυίαν καὶ ἀρεΤΗΝ διάφορα:

I shall now subjoin a fac-simile of the Greek in this impression, which is more beautiful than the specimen that has just preceded it.

but in its infancy; and what is extremely remarkable, they were so correctly printed, that, as we are assured by Mr. Maittaire, in two whole pages, which contained seventysix lines of a considerable length, there were but fourteen faults of impression. The place mentioned by that author, may be seen in page 46 of his Annales Typogr. [edit. 1719] where he has set down those places, which were wrong printed, in order to convince the world, by the smallness of their number, of the accuracy and diligence of those two printers.' General History of Printing; p. 126-7.