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for an enlargement.

Rare: Only one copy of this edition traced via NUC Pre-1956, OCLC, and RLIN (at the Bancroft Library).

•  Quarter vellum with vellum turn-ins. Covers originally covered with gilt or marbled paper, now lost, exposing underlying paste boards—a rather interesting effect. Spine divided into compartments by gilt rolls; a tan leather label, gilt-lettered. Somewhat cockled. Pages untrimmed. Upper outer corner of title-leaf repaired with paper. Two wormholes through frontispiece, plate, and first three printed leaves, with a little loss to illustrations (which yet remain effective) and to parts of individual letters; some additional worming in the margins, not affecting text.

•  “Not in” as above. Creasing, dust-soiling; upper outer corner repaired, with loss of a few letters. Now in a Mylar folder.

Provenance:  On front free endpaper in 18th-century hands: “del uso de Sor Maria Coleta,” lined through; below which, “del uso de Sor M[ari]a Juan Nep[umacen]a.

The printer has supplied two charming initials, an “I” and a “C.”

•  Medina, Mexico, 9208.   Publisher's limp vellum with remnants of ties. Occasional light foxing. Ownership signatures as noted.  (23966)

This first edition is printed with handsome woodcut initials and headpieces in the Greek Classical style; the fold-out map shows Ancient Greece, Asia Minor, and the Black Sea.

•  On Carli, see Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed.,V, 339. Contemporary vellum over paste boards; spine with gilt title framed with gilt rolls. Covers somewhat cockled and vellum splitting along edges of covers with some scratches and staining. Pages generally clean with occasional traces of soiling or fine spotting; pencilled notation and inked ownership inscription on title-page. All edges speckled red.

The first edition appeared in Seville in 1491. In the 1555 Gregorio López issued his influential edition with commentary, which became the standard edition, reprinted several times in subsequent centuries. According to Palau, López "revisó y corregió escrupulosamente los manuscritos y textos anteriores, en los que el descuido de copistas e impresores había llegado a introducir variantes de importancia y a falsear el espiritú del legislador. De modo que esta edición [i.e., la primera] fue declarada como texto único auténtico y legal en la práctica del foro."

In the years following issuance of the 1555 edition, corruptions began to enter the text yet again, and in 1759 a further revision was ordered to bring the text back to its original wording and sense. This is only the second edition of that revision. Its printer was Monfort, one of Spain's best 18th-century practioners of the black art. The main title-page is printed in black and red, the text in clear and precise roman with some italic in double-column format; López's notes are laid in below the text. A fine engraved headpiece adorns the "Prólogo" in vol. I and a handsome woodcut headpiece of a ship under full sail on the open sea introduces each partida. Additionally there is a modest use of historiated initials.

•  Palau 7007 (Siete partidas) & 7008 (index). Contemporary mottled calf, round spines, raised bands, gilt spines extra. Minor abrasions on some covers. All edges carmine. Silk place markers. A very few instances of worming, holes filled by means of the 18th-century version of leafcasting (i.e., a paper slurry "painted" onto the paper to fill the opening): a few letters lost in some words, but sense not obscured. A very handsome set of a very important book.

Uncommon: OCLC locates only this copy, now properly deaccessioned.

•  Contemporary black goat, dry and a little abraded; old gouge to back cover. Corners renewed at later time with lighter color leather. Lacks front and rear free end-papers. Ex-library with bookplate on front pastedown, rubber-stamp on rear one and on bottom edge of the closed book. Private ownership marks as above, and an additional older monogram to title-page. Occasional spotting, light staining in lower inner margins; overall light age-toning.  (12231)

This copy is notarized, i.e., authenticated, sealed, and signed, "In Madrid, a true copy, Manuel St. Martin, Apostolic notary." No copies were found on OCLC or RLIN, or in NUC Pre-1956.

•  Not in Palau. On Benedict XIII, see New Catholic Encyclopedia, II, 276-77. Removed from a nonce volume. Paper generally clean and crisp with but a few spots of soiling; closed tear from bottom margin into the last two lines of text, without loss of letters. Inked paraph on lower inner corners, and inked notation on upper outer corner of first page.

This bilingual edition is printed in two columns, the original Latin text of the Apostolic letter is on the left and a Spanish translation is on the right. This important item in Spanish and Vatican diplomatic history is rare. No copies were found on OCLC or RLIN, or in NUC Pre-1956.

•  Not in Palau. On Benedict XIV, see New Catholic Encyclopedia, II, 278. Removed from a nonce volume. Paper generally clean and crisp with a few spots of soiling.

•  Mottled sheep, round spine gilt extra. Small crack in top spine panel; gilt author/title label gone from one compartment, identifications now showing "in blind." Modest gilt tooling on covers. All edges carmine. Very good copy.

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•  Brunet, I, 1680 (for Barbou’s 1754 printing); Graesse, II, 87; Schweiger, II, 83. Contemporary mottled calf, nicely gilt-decorated and all edges gilt; front joint open with leather rubbed, acid-pitted, and cracking; spine rubbed; spine label chipped and partly lacking. Front pastedown with private collector’s bookplate, small shelving ticket, and institutional rubber-stamp; front free endpaper reverse with rubber-stamp; front fly-leaf with inked owner’s name dated 1863. Plates very slightly browned; light spotting to a few upper outer corners. Not a coddled book — but, a complete one.