HIERONYMUS, Saint [Saint JEROME] (c. 342 - 420). Epistolae.

HIERONYMUS, Saint [Saint JEROME] (c. 342 - 420).  Epistolae. Venice: Bernardinus Benalius, 14 July 1490. 2 parts bound in one volume, folio (405 x 268mm). Part I: 183 leaves (of 184, lacking initial blank). Part II: 229 leaves (of 230, lacking final blank). Ai in the first part with an 11-line hand-painted floral initial in colours and gold and hand-painted floral borders in colours and gold, with a crowned armorial device [see note], Ai in the second part with a 10-line hand-painted initial in red and blue, hand-painted 3 or 4-line initials in red and blue throughout (scattered worming affecting first few leaves of the first part, hole in nii with loss of letters and dark stain on verso, wormtracks to upper margins of many leaves in the second part with some repairs occasionally affecting letters, some light mainly marginal staining, more pronounced to xi in the first part, some spotting). Contemporary red calf over wooden boards with metal bosses in the form of stylized flower-heads, spine decorated in gilt with 6 raised bands, metal-tipped leather clasps (neatly rebacked some time ago preserving original spine, rubbed). Provenance: "G. A." (initials in a hand-painted armorial device [see below] with motto "MANCANDO VIVE"); some very sparse ink annotation; later pencil collation on rear pastedown. Regarding the hand-painted armorial device, we are grateful to Murray Chesney-Stroak for the following note: "The device is certainly not a coat-of-arms of any type typical of the late fifteenth century in Italy or Central Europe. This is more likely a badge used perhaps by the publisher and coloured to suit the other decoration. The badge would thus be described (blazoned if it were a coat-of-arms) as: Azure, a staff (or thyrsus?) Or, with letters G and A in chief of the second, a scroll in fess Argent, the whole being surmounted by a laurel wreath proper and assigned with a crest coronet Or. My gut feeling is that the staff/thyrsus, or perhaps a torch (flambeau), is representative of learning, the letters probably being the artist's initials and the laurel wreath an attribute of renown or fame." BMC V, 372; not in Brunet; HC *8560; Goff H-172; GW 12432; Proctor 4873; Walsh 2090.