GIOVENALE, Juvenalis, Decimus Junius (50-140). Opus… Interprete Ioanne Britannico viro eruditissimo, una cum Iodoci Badii Ascensii familiaribus explanationibus... Bindoni e Pasini - Venezia, 1548

In-folio. 17th century binding in green parchment, plates with the elaborate coat of arms of Prince Louis II of Bourbon-Condé in the center imprinted in gold and golden fillets in the margins, spine with red gusset and lily imprinted in gold in the six compartments; upper corners and hinges restored. With two typographical brands, 16 lovely cartoons and 16 large ornamental drop caps at the beginning of each satire, and 37 smaller decorative drop caps scattered throughout the text, all inc. Wood. (6), 143, (1 blank) ff.; very slight halo of humidity towards the end, otherwise a very good example. 


Prince Louis II of Bourbon-Condé (1621-86) was the best-known representative of the branch of Condé of the Bourbons of France and one of the most skilled leaders of the seventeenth century. For his notable military skills he was nicknamed the Great Condé and the Alexander the Great of France.


Good and uncommon edition of the Satires, appreciated for the care of the text and the comments of the humanist typographer Badio Ascensio and especially of the Latinist Giovanni Britannicus: «throughout the 16th century his Persius and his Juvenal were preferred to those of other famous humanists» (DBI XIV, p. 342). The Roman poet Juvenal expresses in the Satires all his indignation at the degradation of the society in which he finds himself living. Adams J-763. Olschki, Choix, IV, 4720 Sander 3740 (note, and with a detailed description of the 1523 edition of which this is a reprint). Guigard, Nouvel armorial du bibliophile, I, p. 46.