DE ARTE GRAMMATICA...

Venezia: Christophorus de Pensis, 4 June, 1491. The first printing by Pensis, and only the third printing of Diomedes. With a large woodcut on the recto of A2 within an elaborate woodcut border and with large woodcut initial, printed in Roman and occasion Greek letter, 46 lines. Chancery folio (305 x 202mm), in full red crushed morocco of the 19th century by Leighton, spine with five blind ruled raised bands and lettering in gilt, turn-ins gilt, a.e.g. From the library of Hans Furstenberg with his gilt-lettered book label. 84 ff. A very fresh and fine copy, especially so, the handsome morocco binding with just a hint of mellowing to the extremities, internally very well preserved and clean. VERY SCARCE INCUNABLE PRINTING OF DIOMEDES GRAMMATICUS, which contains "one of the most complete lists of types of dactylic hexameters in antiquity." - Britannica.
Written sometime in the 4th century, it is the only Latin grammar of the period to come down to us complete. The work is divided into three books: In Book I Diomedes discusses the eight parts of speech; in Book II the elementary ideas of grammar and of style; in Book III poetry, quantity, and meters. His third book on poetry is particularly valuable, containing extracts from Suetonius's De Poetica. This book contains one of the most complete lists of types of dactylic hexameters in antiquity, including the teres versus, which may (or may not) be the so-called "golden line.