Collectanea Adagiorum Veterum.

Hardcover. Fine. 4to. Bound in 20th-century 1/4-vellum over marbled boards. Strasbourg: Matthias Schürer, July 1510. Second Strasbourg edition of Erasmus heavily annotated collection of Greek and Latin proverbs. Printed in Roman and Greek types.

This is the original version, containing 818 adages, which is considerably shorter than the later expanded versions published under the title Adagiorum chiliades. (Adams E-420; Bezzel, Erasmusdrucke, 50; Van der Haeghen, Bibliotheca Erasmiana, p.25-6; Bibl. Belgica II, 276: no. E.61; Muller, Strasbourg II, p. 179, no. 45.)

The Adagia could only have been possible in the new world of European education, in which careful attention to a broader range of classical texts produced a much fuller picture of the literature of antiquity. Its impact has been long lasting. Such popular expressions such as one step at a time, between a rock and a hard place, break the ice, an iron in the fire, looking a gift horse in the mouth, and many other sayings can trace their origin to the Adagia.

The printer, Matthias Schürer, published 15 works by Erasmus in over 70 editions. It is interesting to note that his relationship with Erasmus began with a rather rough start. In 1509, the year Schürer completed his apprenticeship and opened his own print shop, he struck an unauthorized edition of Erasmuss Adagia, purloined from the first edition of 1500. In spite of this commercial indiscretion, Erasmus favored Schürer with a warm, supportive, and lasting friendship. The dedicatee of this celebrated work, William Blount, 4th Baron Mountjoy of Barton Blount, Derbyshire, was a wealthy English courtier and scholar. A pupil of Erasmus, he called him inter nobiles doctissimus (The most learned amongst the nobles). Having served since 1512 as Chamberlain to Queen Catherine of Aragon, it fell to him to announce to her the intention of Henry VIII to divorce her. Boards slightly rubbed; signatures D-K with a small wormhole to outer margin, without loss of text; some slight browning and soiling to some pages; a few leaves with faded manuscript marginalia in a neat 16th-century hand; index leaves with light water staining to upper portion; o/w a very nice unrestored, wide-margined example of this rare early edition.