Bidspirit auction | Aldus Manutius – Institutionum Grammaticarum

Aldus Manutius – Institutionum Grammaticarum – Venice, 1514 – Rare Edition Printed by Author, with Appendix for Study of Hebrew - Aldi Pii Manutii Institutionum grammaticarum libri quatuor [Four books on principles of grammar], by Aldus Manutius (Aldo Manuzio) I. Venice: Aldo Manuzio & Andrea Torresano, December 1514. Third edition. Latin, Greek and some Hebrew. Latin grammar with introduction to Hebrew and Greek, by Aldus Manutius (1449-1515), a humanist scholar, a leading Italian printer and author of the modern rules for commas and semicolons. Rare early edition, printed in author's press in Venice, just some two months before his passing. Printer's colophon, with location and date of printing, at end of book. Manutius' famous printer's device (anchor and dolphin) on title page and under colophon. Some words of index and printer's device at top of title page in red ink. This edition comprises an important four-page appendix for study of Hebrew (first printed in 1501, known as ”Introductio perbrevis ad linguam hebraicam”). This appendix begins with a short letter from Manutius to his disciples, comprising the Hebrew letters, rules for pronunciation, and various verses and prayers in Hebrew. Aldus Manutius made scarce use of Hebrew type (which had been used for a few words in several of his earlier incunables). The Hebrew appendix in the present copy, which he would include with only some editions of his Latin grammar, is considered a milestone in Christian Hebraist and Hebrew typography. The Hebrew type used were designed and produced for Manutius by the artist Francesco Griffo, who later designed the typeface used by Gershom Soncino (in 1510, Soncino printed his own introduction to Hebrew, Introductio ad Litteras Hebraicas, accusing Manutius of having copied his work and printing it in mangled form). Early ownership signature on title page: ”Joseph Sogarius” (a 17th-century Italian book collector). [214] leaves (collation: a-z⁸, &¹⁰, aa-bb⁸ + gathering of [4] unmarked leaves). Approx. 20 cm. Fair-good condition. Stains, including large dampstains to many leaves. Minor marginal tears to some leaves, including small marginal open tears to title page, affecting one word on verso. Early marginal inscriptions on several leaves. Inscriptions on endpapers. Early cardboard binding, rubbed and worn. See: Renouard, Annales de l'imprimerie des Alde, I, p. 163; Graesse IV/374; Brunet III/1381; Amram, The Makers of Hebrew Books in Italy, pp. 98-103.