MELANCHTHON, Philipp (1497-1560).

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MELANCHTHON, Philipp (1497-1560).

成交价英镑 248,750

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MELANCHTHON, Philipp (1497-1560).

成交价英镑 248,750

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MELANCHTHON, Philipp (1497-1560).

Documents from the library of the pre-eminent Reformation theologian, scholar, and peer of Martin Luther, representing his most significant concerns and teachings. This extraordinary set of 7 volumes comprises 5 books from Melanchthon’s own library bearing his manuscript annotations, one bound with important autograph material, and one bound for his son-in-law and editor of his collected works.

His numerous annotations across these volumes prove him to be a particularly active reader – his margins are often populated by thoughts and responses to the texts, while he typically uses pastedowns and endpapers to index words and concepts of particular interest. The variety of works presented in this lot illustrates the breadth of his scholarly appetite, from the theological, to the historical, ethical, and literary. Autograph manuscripts by Melanchthon are rare on the market: ABPC/RBH record only four examples at auction in the last thirty years. Books annotated or signed by Melanchthon are even scarcer: aside from the Aristophanes included here, we can trace only one volume, in 1980.

1. BIBLE, IN GERMAN — Biblia Das ist: Die gantze heilige Schrifft: Deudsch. Doct. Mart. Luth. Wittenberg: Hans Lufft, 1556.

A finely illustrated edition of Luther’s Bible, bound with two autograph manuscripts by Philipp Melanchthon concerning the physical appearance of Christ and the justification of man, as well as a manuscript by his close friend and fellow reformer Paul Eber. VD16 B2741.

2 parts in one volume, folio (365 x 235mm). Titles to each part printed in red and black within historiated woodcut borders, numerous woodcut illustrations by Georg Lemberger, Hans Brosamer, and others (slight dampstaining at upper margin, a few leaves with ink stains, 13 short repaired marginal tears, two small holes). Contemporary German pigskin over wooden boards by Hans Cantzler [active 1546-1580, EBDB w003993], dated 1560, elaborately stamped in gilt, inlaid stamped portraits of Melanchthon and Luther on inside upper cover bearing Cantzler’s ‘H. C’ monogram, later metal corner-pieces and clasps, the inlaid portraits and endpapers richly decorated in colours and gilt in the 19th-century probably executely when the volume was rebacked (slightly rubbed). Provenance: Crailsheim, Matthias Gunderam (Protestant theologian, dean of the faculty of philosophy at Wittenberg University and cousin to Lukas Cranach, 1529-1564; ownership inscription at the end of part one) – von Hohndorff family (19th-century manuscript leaf with coat-of-arms).

[Bound with a total of 53 further leaves, comprising:] 19th-century manuscript leaf bearing coat of arms of the von Hohndorff family (1 leaf); two autograph manuscripts by Melanchthon, the first ‘Descriptio figurae corporis domini nostri Iesu Christi ex Nicephoro Constantinopolitano’, signed (‘Scriptu[m] Manu Philippi Melanthonis’), 1560 (two pages, 235 x 363mm: browned, early repair at lower margin on recto and left margin on verso, the closing six lines including signature later overwritten), the second a text on the justification of man beginning ‘Nulli Christiano dubitandu[m] est’ (9 pages, 300 x 210mm: title ‘Vann der Justification’ added in another early hand, window-mounted, marginal spotting and soiling), autograph manuscript signed by Paul Eber, Wittenberg, 21 May 1560, two pages; 19th-century manuscript transcriptions of Melanchthon and Eber (5 leaves), 19th-century printed transcriptions of Melanchthon (4 leaves), gouache portrait of Martin Luther (1 leaf), hand-coloured engraved title from an 18th-century German Bible by Endtner (1 leaf), extracts from an 18th-century Endter Bible edition (34 leaves).

2. HOMER (?8th century B.C.). Odyssey, in Greek. Edited by Johannes Lonicer (1497-1569). Strasbourg: Wolfgang Köpfel, 1525.

A superlative copy of the fifth edition in Greek, extensively annotated by the dedicatee Philipp Melanchthon. Homer was held in a particularly high regard by Melanchthon, who used his works exhaustively in providing his students a comprehensive moral education. This edition, the first to be printed in any German speaking country, appeared in the same year as Lonicer’s Iliad, together forming an edition of Homer’s complete works. Adams H-746; BM STC, German, p.412; VD16 H4692.

Octavo (159 x 104mm). Title within historiated woodcut border depicting scenes from the Odyssey, touched in red, woodcut printer’s device on title and I8v (title lacking small portion of lower margin to remove a later ownership note, minor marginal chip in p1). Contemporary German blind-tooled calf, later morocco spine label, titled in contemporary manuscript on fore-edge, (lacking ties, minor splitting at joints). Provenance: Philipp Melanchthon (his frequent marginal annotations and underlinings in black and reddish ink throughout the volume: the latter somewhat faded at times) – ‘Sum Joan [?]’ (partially cancelled inscription on title) – George Granville, 2nd Duke of Sutherland (1786-1861; inscription on front endpaper recording purchase from Pickering in May 1846; an inserted note, 4 May 1846, records an analysis of the annotations by Antonio Panizzi and others at the British Museum).

3. ARISTOPHANES (c.446 BC - c.386 BC). Comoediae undecim. Translated into Latin by Andreas Divo. Basel: Andreas Cratander & Johann Bebel, 1539.

Melanchthon’s copy of a complete edition of the Comedies of Aristophanes, with his signature and annotations. Grynaeus published the first complete edition of Aristophanes' Comedies in 1532. This later edition also incorporates the Lysistrata and Thesmophoriazusae which were discovered later than the other plays and published separately in 1516. They were not included in two earlier ‘complete’ editions (Florence 1525 and Paris 1528).

As well as his signature on the title, Melanchthon has made notations in Latin and Greek relating to the plays on two front flyleaves in reddish ink (slightly faded), added manuscript marginal notes in seven places in the text (mostly in Greek), and made numerous underlinings in ink throughout. The heaviest annotations appear within the play Pax (Peace). VD16 A3271.

Octavo (165 x 109mm). (A few minor marginal repairs on c4-c5, slight marginal damage to f5-f8 affecting a few letters, some very pale dampstaining to some lower margins.) Contemporary blind-tooled pigskin over wooden boards (rebacked preserving portions of original spine, headbands renewed, some staining and wear). Provenance: Philipp Melanchthon (signature on title-page, ‘Philippi Melanthonis’, and his annotations in ink) – Heinrich Ernst Bindseil (1803-1876), editor of Melanchthon's works, 1834-60 (1851 gift inscription on front flyleaf) – Arthur & Charlotte Vershbow (acquired from Goodspeed's Book Shop 1989; their sale at Christie’s New York, April 9-10 2013, lot 91).

4. THEODORETUS, Bishop of Cyrus. Dialogi tres contra quasdam haereses. Rome: Stefano Nicolini, de Sabio, 1547.

Rare first edition, from the library of Philipp Melanchthon, of an important polemical work by Theodoret of Cyrus. This copy of the most important dogmatic text from the great ancient Syrian theologian is annotated by Melanchthon with a number of marginal notes and manicules, characteristically indexed at length on the rear endpaper and pastedown. Adams T-493; BM STC, Italian, p.667; EDIT 16 CNCE 32934.

Quarto (226 x 158mm). Woodcut printer’s device on title and colophon (some margins lightly waterstained). Contemporary blind-stamped pigskin over thin boards, dated 1559 on upper cover, sides stamped with depictions of King David and the baptism of Christ within roll-tooled borders, Philipp Melanchthon’s initials ‘P M’ stamped in blind on upper cover (light waterstain on upper cover, small split at head of spine). Provenance: Philipp Melanchthon (binding and annotations) – 18th-century donation inscription probably of pastor Georg Antonius Beer of the chapel of Schloss Annaburg (c.1764: ‘Ex donation Summe Venerbl: Patr: Beer Cappel: Annaburg:).

5. POLYBIUS (c.200-c.118 B.C.). Historiarum libri priores quinque, in Greek and Latin. Basel: Johann Herwagen, 1549.

Second Greek edition of the Historiae of Polybius, with extensive marginal annotations by Philipp Melanchthon. The Greek historian represented for Melanchthon an inexhaustible source for historical events, with quotations from Polybius occurring in a number of his commentaries and theological tracts, and Melanchthon’s frequent annotations in Latin and Greek show his close engagement with the text: they include a delightful schematic map of Sicily on b3v. This Greek and Latin edition reproduces the Latin translation from by the humanist Nicolaus Perottus (1429-1480; books I-V) and the Reformed theologian Wolfgang Musculus (1497-1563; epitome). Adams P-1803; VD16 P-4083.

2 parts in one volume, folio (336 x 205mm). Woodcut printer’s device on first title, historiated woodcut initials, with both blanks (some faint marginal waterstaining, tiny wormhole in margin of last quire). Contemporary German blindstamped pigskin over wooden boards, bevelled edges, inner frame stamped with portraits of Reformation figures including Erasmus, Luther, and Melanchthon himself, within border showing Mary and Child, King David, St John and St Paul, outer palmette roll (remains of clasps, lightly worn and stained, small splits to headcap). Provenance: Philipp Melanchthon (numerous annotations in ink) – a few annotations by other 16th-century hands – August Georg Heinrich Wenzel (teacher at Salzwedel Gymnasium, b.1783; inscription) – Salzwedel Gymnasium Library (label on front pastedown, later stamp on verso of front endpaper).

6. ARISTOTELES (384-322 B.C.). Opera, in Greek. Edited by Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536). Basel: Johann Bebel and Michael Isengrin, 1550.

Third Basel edition of Aristotle’s works, profusely annotated by Philipp Melanchthon. Aristotle is central to Melanchthon’s thinking; his own moral philosophy is deeply influenced by Aristotle’s Ethics, and he published commentaries on a number of Aristotelian disciplines. In a letter of 1553 to the theologian Theobald Thamer, he wrote that in order to know God and the Christian truth it is better to read Aristotle than Luther. His at times very dense annotations in Latin and Greek to the present volume are characteristically indexed at length on the back free endpaper, whilst on the front pastedown he lists and compares philosophical and theological loci relating to consolation. The volume constitutes a remarkable witness to the ways Aristotle was interpreted by his greatest Reformation follower. Adams A-1732; BM STC, German, p.40; VD16 A3281

2 parts in one volume, folio (347 x 219mm). Woodcut printer’s device on each title and at end of second part, several woodcut historiated initials (some faint marginal waterstaining, a few small marginal wormholes). Contemporary German blindstamped pigskin over wooden boards, bevelled edges, dated 1551 on upper cover, panelled sides richly stamped depicting Mary and Child, King David, St John and St Paul, floral and palmette tools, later vellum spine label titled in manuscript (lacking the clasps, slightly stained, extremities lightly rubbed). Provenance: Philipp Melanchthon (numerous annotations in ink) – Johann Heinrich Joseph Niesert (German Catholic clergyman, 1766-1841; ownership inscription on first title dated 1819; his library of 16,000 books auctioned in Münster in 1843, this being lot 1111).

7. NONNUS PANOPOLITANUS (c.500 AD). Dionysiaca, in Greek. Edited by Gerard Falckenburg (1538-1578). Antwerp: Christophe Plantin, 1569.

Editio princeps of the Dionysiaca of Nonnus of Panopolis, in a contemporary Wittenberg binding for Melanchthon’s son-in-law, Caspar Peucer. Author of the influential Commentarius de praecipuis divinationum generibus (1553), Peucer also edited the Corpus doctrinae Philippicus (1560), a collection of Melanchthon’s works. The Dionysiaca is the longest extant Greek epic poem, consisting of some 20,426 lines. Adams N-331; USTC 411415.

Quarto (227 x 147mm). Woodcut printer’s device on title, initial (a few leaves with minor waterstains in extreme outer margin). Contemporary Wittenberg blindstamped pigskin by Thomas Krüger [EBDB w000433], stamped portrait of Martin Luther on upper cover [EBDB p000340] with, above, initials ‘D. C. P. B’ and, below, dated 1570 in gilt, stamped portrait of Philipp Melanchthon on lower cover, manuscript title on spine (lacking clasps, a few areas lightly rubbed, faint stain on upper spine). Provenance: Caspar Peucer (1535-1602; his initials on binding, ‘D[octor] C[aspar] P[eucer] B[autzen]’) – Sächsisches Landesgymnasium Sankt Afra (stamp on title) – University of Leipzig (library de-accession stamp on title) – Livio Ambrogio (bookplate).

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