Cardanus (Hieronymus) In Cl. Ptolemaei de astrorum iudiciis ... lib. IIII commentaria, first edition with commentaries by Conradus Dasypodius, 4 parts in 1, collation: a⁸ A-Z aa-ii Aa-Ff⁸ Gg¹⁰ AA-BB⁸ CC⁶ DD² EE-FF⁸ GG⁶ HH⁴ II¹⁰, woodcut device on title incorporating portrait of Cardanus, woodcut device on verso of final leaf, woodcut diagrams and initials, lower corner of title torn away, tears to aa6 and BB5, contemporary French olive morocco for Charles, Cardinal de Bourbon, triple gilt filet borders, flat spine with the cardinal's arms and his device with motto 'superat candore et odore', title in gilt at head of spine, some old abrasion and scuff marks, restored area on upper cover, a little rubbing along joints, corners slightly bumped, g.e., modern fleece-lined cloth drop-back box, folio (text block 320 x 195mm., binding 327 x 209mm.), Basel, Henricus Petri, 1578.

⁂ The Beckford copy of this astrological compilation, which was first published by Petri in 1554; the first part consisting of his Latin translation and commentary on Ptolemy. This later edition, the first with commentaries by Conradus Dasypodius, suppressed the horoscope of Jesus Christ, inserting instead a short description of the famous clock of Strasbourg. The owner of this copy, Charles II de Bourbon (1520-1590), was proclaimed Charles X of France by the Catholic League, following the assassination of Henry III on 2 August 1589. The Cardinal owned other works by Cardanus, which became part of the William Beckford collection. These were also sold in 1884 (see lots 1580-1583), the catalogue noting that 'Specimens of the Library of the Cardinal de Bourbon are extremely rare, as nearly the entire collection was absorbed into the Bibliothèque Nationale.'.

Provenance: Charles Cardinal de Bourbon (binding); William Beckford (pencilled shelf mark '353 -- 31A'; sale Sotheby's, London, 1-9 May 1884, lot 1579, with lot description pasted in); Henry J.B. Clements (19th-century bookplate); Edwards (ink signature dated June 1895 to front free endpaper);[Cat. Heilbrun, Paris bookseller, cat. 37, (1972), no. 37]; Michel Wittock (bookplate, his collection, Part I : Important Renaissance Bookbindings, 2004).

Literature: Adams C682; Houzeau and Lancaster 4856; Riccardi I, 254.73; VD 16 P5256.