Catullus (Gaius Valerius), Propertius (Sextus) and Albius Tibullus. Catullus. Propertius. Tibullus., edited by Benedictus Philologus Florentinus, collation: a⁴ b-e⁸ f¹⁰ A-I⁸ aa-dd⁸ ee⁴ (a⁴ and I⁸ blank), italic type, initial spaces with guide-letters, front free endpaper with contemporary ms. four-line poem after Johannes Petrus Abstemius (Abstemius ad librum, Carmina 1, 95), occasional early ink marginalia, front endpaper wormed and laid down with loss to ms., repaired hole within text of a1-3 with loss of several letters on each f., small wormhole to last 4 ff. with loss of the odd letter on each f., occasional spotting, a few small stains, modern vellum, 8vo (159 x 95mm.), [Florence], [Philip Giunta I],1503.

⁂ The exceedingly rare first Giunta octavo edition (this the issue with spelling error 'Augustus' corrected in the colophon), which Brunet calls 'plus rare que celle d'Alde'. It is essentially a copy of the 1502 Aldine edition, which was pirated by Trot in Lyons in the same year. This is the first of Giunta's octavo printings of the classics and cannot be considered as a true piracy of Aldus, as they are signed by the Giunti. Despite this Aldus Manutius fought ferociously for a decade to protect his publications and eventually, on 28th November, 1513, the newly elected Pope Leo X granted him a privilege, signed by Pietro Bembo, who was at the time papal secretary.

Provenance: 'Petrus Vitrus' (contemporary ink name to title).

Literature: Renouard, XXXIV: 4; EDIT 16 CNCE 10357; Petta, The Giunti of Florence, 2013, pp.16-17.