Ambrose, Opera, vols 4 and 5 as one

Abstract

Ambrose, Opera, ed. Desiderius Erasmus, vols. 4 and 5 as one. Fine contemporary German binding of blind-stamped calf over bevelled ?oak boards, newer leather inserted under the spine. Formerly two straps from the rear to brass catches still present at the front. Brass corner bosses, one missing. The blind tooling includes ‘OPERVM AMBROSI’ on the front, and stamps of Old Testament scenes with captions. The hinges have been strengthened with parchment strips from a large 13th-cent. MS, probably German; part of one col. of text is visible – apparently a biblical commentary. Pr. in 5 vols. by Hieronymus Froben and Nicholaus Episcopius, Basel, 1555. Inside the front board is pencilled roughly ‘vols. 4 & 5 in 1 5/-’ and 447. At the head of the title page is ‘Sum Vbbonis Emmii’. Ubbo Emmius (1547-1625), historian and geographer, was a Dutch Calvinist who became first rector of the University of Groningen. The High School for boys which he founded in 1584 in the town of Leer (Lower Saxony) is still in existence today. From the Library of Christ College. Uncatalogued.