1521 ERASMUS ed. St CYPRIAN BASEL Post-Incunable EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH/ Holbein

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1521 ERASMUS ed. St CYPRIAN BASEL Post-Incunable EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH/ Holbein:
$560.00

[Early Printing - Post-Incunabula - Basel - Johannes Froben] [Early Book Illustrations - Ambrosius Holbein, Hans Holbein the Yonger][Roman Catholic Church - History] [Christian Theology]
[Patristic Literature] [Christian Heresies - Novatianism] [History of the Roman Empire - Crisis of the Third Century] [Renaissance Humanism - Erasmus]

Printed in Basel by Johannes Froben, November 1521.
Text in Latin.

SECOND ERASMUS EDITION. Scarce and important edition of complete works of St. Cyprian (c. 200 - 258) bishop of Carthage and an important Early Christian writer, edited by the great Dutch Renaissance humanist Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (1466 - 1536) with his dedicatory epistle to Italian Cardinal Lorenzo Pucci.

A controversial figure during his lifetime, Cyprian strong pastoral skills, firm conduct during the Novatianist heresy and outbreak of the plague, and eventual martyrdom at Carthage vindicated his reputation and proved his sanctity in the eyes of the Church. His skillful Latin rhetoric led to his being considered \"the first great Latin writer among the Christians\" (Catholic Encyclopedia). His writings were praised by Prudentius, Jerome and Lactantius and remained popular into the Renaissance.

This fine edition of Cyprian\'s Opera in Folio was beautifully printed by Johannes Froben (ca.1460 - 1527), the celebrated Basel printer and publisher. Froben was a close friend of Erasmus, who lived in his house when in Basel, and not only had his own works printed by him, but also edited Froben\'s editions of the Church Fathers (including this edition of Cyprian). Froben\'s work in Basel made the city the leading center of the Swiss book trade.

\"In 1519-20 [Erasmus] had edited the works of Cyprian for the Froben press in Basel, as part of a series Froben was issuing of the church fathers; the prefatory letter to the edition, demonstrates Erasmus\' high regard for Cyprian.\" (Erasmus of Rotterdam Society Yearbook, Vol. 22, p.72)
\"In February 1520 Froben published Erasmus\' edition of the writings of St. Cyprian. A folio volume of over 500 pages, it was a marked improvement over the preceding Paris edition of Cyprian in 1512, for Erasmus not only used additional manuscripts to emend the text or show variant readings (in the margin), but he added several treatises not previously published, and he identified and separated works wrongly attributed to Cyprian. Erasmus subsequently produced for the Frobens three revised editions - in November 1521, in 1525 and in 1530.\" (John C. Olin, Six Essays on Erasmus, p.41)

Desiderius Erasmus (1466 - 1536), aka Erasmus of Rotterdam, was a prominent Dutch Renaissance humanist, social critic, teacher, and theologian. Erasmus was a classical scholar who wrote in a pure Latin style. He was a proponent of religious toleration, and has often been called \"the Prince of the Humanists\". Using humanist techniques for working on texts, he prepared important new Latin and Greek editions of the New Testament. These raised questions that would be influential in the Protestant Reformation and Catholic Counter-Reformation. Although he was critical of the abuses within the Church and called for reform, Erasmus kept his distance from Luther and Melanchthon and continued to recognize the authority of the pope. Erasmus emphasized a middle way, with a deep respect for traditional faith, piety and grace, and rejected Luther\'s emphasis on faith alone. He therefore remained a member of the Catholic Church all his life, while advocating reforming the Church from within.

This elegant folio is embellished with a superb historiated woodcut title-border and another fine woodcut border with flowerpots and putti enclosing the first page of Erasmus\' Dedication, both by Ambrosius Holbein, as well as several decorative woodcut head-pieces and numerous fine historiated woodcut initials, many of which are by Hans Holbein the Younger, one initial \'N\', dated \'1520\' and signed with initials \'I.F.\', which are often to be the monogram of Johann Froben himself, but \"according to the most probable interpretation, it is that of Ian (Hans) Franck, who was one of the engravers of Burkmair\'s Triumphal Procession of the Emperor Maximilian\" (Richard Fisher, Catalogue of a Collection of Engravings, Etchings, and Woodcuts, p.185).

The splendid woodcut title-border, dated 1517 and signed with Ambrosius Holbein\'s monogram \'AH\' (Hollstein 19a) was earlier used in the 1517 Froben edition of Maximus Tyrus and the 1519 Erasmus\' Annotations on the New Testament. The top panel depicts the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest of 9 AD (in which an alliance of Germanic tribes led by Arminius destroyed three Roman legions led by Quinctilius Varus). Side panels incorporate allegorical female figures of virtues: Love, Temperance, Justice and Fortitude. The bottom panel represents \'The Calumny of Apelles,\' recreating a lost painting by the ancient Greek artist Apelles (4th century BC), an allegory of slander known only from a detailed description by Lucian of Samosata:

\'On the right of it sits Midas with large ears, extending his hand to Slander. Near him, on one side, stand two women - Ignorance and Suspicion. On the other side, Slander is coming up, a woman beautiful beyond measure, but full of malignant passion and excitement, evincing as she does fury and wrath by carrying in her left hand a blazing torch and with the other dragging by the hair a young man who stretches out his hands to heaven calling the gods to witness his innocence. She is conducted by a pale ugly man with piercing eye and looks as if wasted away in long illness; he represents envy. There are two women in attendance to Slander, one is Fraud and the other Conspiracy. They are followed by a woman dressed in deep mourning, with black clothes all in tatters—she is Repentance. She is turning back with tears in her eyes and casting a stealthy glance, full of shame, at Truth, who is slowly approaching.\'

Renaissance artists including Sandro Botticelli, Andrea Mantegna, Albrecht Dürer, and Pieter Brueghel produced drawings and paintings depicting \'the Calumny of Apelles\' based on Lucian’s descriptions.

Cyprian was born into a rich pagan family of Carthage, in North Africa, sometime during the early 3rd century. His original name was Thascius; he took the additional name Caecilius in memory of the presbyter to whom he owed his conversion. Before his conversion, he was a leading member of a legal fraternity in Carthage, an orator, \"pleader in the courts\", and a teacher of rhetoric. After a \"dissipated youth\", Cyprian was baptised when he was thirty-five years old. After his baptism, he gave away a portion of his wealth to the poor of Carthage, as befitted a man of his status. In the early days of his conversion he wrote an Epistola ad Donatum de gratia Dei and the Testimoniorum Libri III that adhere closely to the models of Tertullian, who influenced his style and thinking.

Not long after his baptism he was ordained deacon, and soon afterward presbyter; and some time between July 248 and April 249 he was chosen bishop of Carthage, a popular choice among the poor who remembered his patronage as demonstrating good equestrian style. However his rapid rise caused a degree of misgiving among many senior members of the clergy in Carthage, an opposition which did not disappear during his episcopacy.

A year later the persecution under the Emperor Decius began, and Cyprian chose to go into hiding rather than face potential execution. Some clergy saw this decision as a sign of cowardice. Cyprian, however, stated that he had fled in order that his faithful would not be without a shepherd during the persecution, and that his decision to continue to lead them, although from a distance, was in accordance with divine will. Moreover, he justified this decision by pointing to the actions of the Apostles and Jesus Himself.

The persecution was especially severe at Carthage, and many Christians fell away, and were thereafter referred to as \"lapsi\". Cyprian held that they ought to be received back into full communion after suitable intervals of probation and penance, adjusted to the gravity of the denial. In this he took a middle course between Novatus, who received apostates with no probation at all, and Novatian, who would not receive them back at all, and who broke communion with the rest of the Church over this issue, forming a dissident group. Cyprian, who held the same position as the Bishop of Rome on the treatment of the lapsed, wrote urging the Christians of Rome to stand with their bishop. Later, the question arose whether baptisms performed by heretical groups ought to be recognized as valid by the Church, or whether converts from such groups ought to be rebaptized. Cyprian favored re-baptism, and Bishop Stephen of Rome did not. The resulting controversy was not resolved during Cyprian\'s lifetime.
During the reign of the Emperor Valerian, Carthage suffered a severe plague epidemic. Cyprian organized a program of medical relief and nursing of the sick, available to all residents, but this did not prevent the masses from being convinced that the epidemic resulted from the wrath of the gods at the spread of Christianity. Another persecution arose, and this time Cyprian did not flee. He was arrested, tried, and finally beheaded on 14 September 258.

Many of Cyprian\'s Latin works are extant, and are collected in this finely produced folio. He was not a speculative theologian; his writings were always connected to his pastoral ministry. His first major work was a monologue Ad Donatum spoken to a friend, detailing his conversion, the corruption of Roman government and gladiator shows, and \"the only refuge of the Christian,\" prayer. During his retreat from Carthage, he wrote his most famous treatise, De Ecclesiae Catholicae Unitate (\"On the Unity of the Catholic Church\"). Upon returning to his seat, he issued De Lapsis (\"On the Lapsed\"). Approximately sixty epistles survive. Another important work is his Treatise on the Lord\'s Prayer.

The following works, however, are of doubtful authenticity: De spectaculis (\"On Public Games\"); De bono pudicitiae (\"The Virtue of Modesty\"); De idolorum vanitate (\"On the Vanity of Images,\" written by Novatian); De laude martyrii (\"In Praise of Martyrdom\"); Adversus aleatores (\"Against Gamblers\"); De duobus montibus Sina et Sion (\"On the Two Mountains Sinai and Zion\"); Adversus Judaeos (Against the Jews ); and the Cena Cypriani (\"Cyprian\'s Banquet\", which enjoyed wide circulation in the Middle Ages). A number of grimoires, such as Libellus Magicus, are also attributed to Cyprian (but actually it is possible that his \"Citation,\" was the only thing written by him, a prayer for the help of angels against demonic attacks). Cyprian\'s works were edited in volumes 3 and 4 of the Patrologia Latina.

The pandemic, probably of smallpox, that afflicted the Roman Empire from AD 250 onwards, was named \'the Plague of Cyprian\' to commemorates St. Cyprian who witnessed and described the plague the plague\'s symptoms in his essay De mortalitate (\"On the Mortality\").

Bibliographic references:

Panzer VI, 226, 391; VD16 C-6509; Vander Haeghen, Bibliotheca Erasmiana II, 23.

Physical description:

Folio, leaves measure 304 mm x 203 mm. Contemporary (early 16-th century) South German or Swiss binding of half blind-rolled pigskin over wooden boards, retaining a pair of brass catch-plates (but clasps gone). Spine with three bands raised over large double-cords. Titled in manuscript \'S. Cypriani\' in an early hand to head of spine.

Pagination: [24], 515 [1], [32] pp.
Signatures: a-z6 A-Y6 Z8 Aa8.
Collated and COMPLETE.

Title-page printed within a splendid historiated woodcut border by Ambrosius Holbein (Hollstein 19a) dated 1517 and signed with monogram \'AH\'. Another woodcut border on opening page of the Dedication (a2r) with flower-pots, cavorting putti and grotesques, incorporating Froben\'s caduceus device (bottom center). Several woodcut decorative headpieces, numerous woodcut initials of various sizes and from different sets (some by Hans Holbein the Younger).
Froben\'s woodcut \'caduceus\' device on verso of the final leaf.

Text printed in roman letter with printed marginalia in italic.

Includes a short Vita of Cyprian on verso of title, followed by Erasmus dedicatory epistle to Cardinal Lorenzo Pucci (leaves a2r-3v), Erasmus\' annotations on Cyprian\'s works (leaves a4r-b2v), table of contents (b2v-5v) and Life and Passion of Cyprian by Pontius the Deacon (b5v-6v).
Colophon on Y6r (recto blank), Index (with a short preface by Froben) on Z1r-Aa7r followed by register (Aa7v); printer\'s mark on Aa8v (recto blank).

Condition:

Very Good antiquarian condition. Complete. Binding rubbed and slightly scuffed; a few small wormholes to front board; repair to foot of spine; rear cover with minor surface loss of leather and outer half of wooden board restored at a later date (clasps gone but original brass catch-plates preserved). Some worming to front free endpaper. Hinge strained and partially cracked between quires a and b, but binding tight and secure. Very light, harmless water-staining to top (blank) margin through second half of the book (text not affected). Some insignificant (end rapidly diminishing) worming to a few opening quires, almost entirely marginal, and not affecting legibility. A small ink-mark to bottom margin of leaf a2r. In all, a nice, clean and bright example of this beautiful edition, with wide margins and in an attractive Renaissance binding.

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