Petrus de Bergamo

Chancery folio (291 x 205mm.), 266 leaves (of 268), [a-m¹⁰ n⁸ o⁴ p-u¹⁰ x⁸ y¹²⁺¹ z A-C¹⁰ D⁸ E⁶⁺¹], 42 lines, roman type, 8- and 9-line initials in blue with red penwork decoration, manuscript headlines, manuscript signatures and quire catchwords (some cropped), paraphs in red or blue, early annotations in red, later annotations in brown ink, Bodleian binding of nineteenth-century calf blind-tooled in period style, without initial blank and lacking final leaf with register, first few leaves repaired, a few marginal tears, occasional light staining or foxing, first leaf washed with loss of inscription at foot, q2-3 torn in gutter (without loss but touching text), binding slightly rubbed

Ferrara, convent of San Domenico, early inscription at end of preface and below colophon, where it is lightly erased and replaced with "E novitiatiis S. Dom.^ci Ferrarie"; Bodleian Library, Oxford, shelfmark on inside front cover, Auct. VI.Q.IV.6, sale of duplicates, Sotheby's, 3 August 1870, lot 1087, 17s, to Daith; William O'Brien, bequest bookplate dated 1899

Goff P450; HC(Add) 2816; BMC vi 799; BSB-Ink P-344; Bod-inc P-199; GW M32088; Grosjean & O'Connell 91

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

FIRST EDITION. The Dominican Petrus de Bergamo was a professor at the Studio of Bologna; all his published works relate to Thomas Aquinas. He numbered Girolamo Savonarola among his pupils in the 1470s, and Savonarola later spent the years 1479-1482 teaching in Ferrara.

Balthazar Azoguidus, a banker, is the first name connected with the introduction of printing to Bologna. A contract from 1470 for a printing syndicate specified that he would supply the ink, paper and compositors, while the humanist Francesco dal Pozzo provided exemplars and worked on sales, and Annibale Malpighi operated the presses. Books with Azoguidus's name appeared from 1471 until 1480, and from this book onwards his name appears alone.

The manuscript quire numbering restarts with "a" at quire [p]. A few sheets have quarto imposition.