Lucian of Samosata. Dialogi et alia multa opera, Collation: *4, ?-?⁸, ??-??⁸, ??², ??-??⁸, ??⁶ (fols. ??3- ??5 excised), [10], 565 of 571, [2] pages (lacking pp. 387-392), Greek text, woodcut Aldine device on title and on verso of final leaf, blank spaces for capitals with printed guide letters, title slightly soiled and spotted, minor paper flaw on fol. ??4, affcting one or two letters, pale water-stain to lower blank margin of last leaves, a few finger-marks, late 18th-century vellum, title lettered in gilt on red morocco label, covers slightly stained, folio, 298 x 203mm., Venice, Heirs of Aldus Manutius and Andrea Torresanus, October, 1522.

⁂ The rare second Aldine edition of Lucian's works, first published by Aldus Manutius in 1503 - the editio princeps had appeared in Florence in 1496. The publication was edited by Federico Torresano and the text is set in the third Aldine Greek type. The publication also contains the Imagines by Philostratus, the Heroica and Vitae Sophistarum by Flavius Philostratus, and the Descriptiones by the sophist Callistratus. In many of the recorded copies of the Aldine Lucian two dialogues (the Mors Peregrini and the Philopatris), which were considered blasphemous), are censored by the excision of leaves, owing to their offensive content, in accordance with the rules of the Index of forbidden books issued in 1564. In this copy the leaves with the text of the Mors Peregrini (fols. ??3- ??5) have been excised, whereas the leaves containing the text of the Philopatris (fols. ?? 4-??5) have curiously not been censored.

Literature: Adams L 1604; Renouard 95.4; Palau 81; Ahmanson-Murphy 213.