Michael Scotus: Liber physiognomiae.
[Treviso: Johannes Rubeus Vercellensis, ca. 1483]
4to. a-f8. [48] leaves (a1, f8 blank).
ISTC im00551800; GW M23305; Goff M557; BMC V 421 (IA. 23144); BSB-Ink M-379.
Although assigned to Venice in BMC, the identity of the paper with that used in the 1483 Treviso Pliny (Goff P808) makes Treviso a more likely place of printing. – ISTC.
Three copies held by the University of Glasgow.
Copy 1
| GIP number: | M35/1 |
| Shelf-mark: | Sp Coll Ferguson Al-b.17 (see main library entry for this item) |
| Provenance: | Percy Clinton Sydney Smythe (1780-1855), 6th Viscount Strangford: “Ld. Strangford’s copy” in pencil on verso of front free endpaper; arms in gilt on covers with motto “Virtus incendit vires”; his library auctioned at Sotheby’s Aug. 1831: Catalogue of a valuable and singularly rare collection of books the property of a nobleman; lot 377 “Scotti (Michael) Liber Phisionomie, russia, gilt leaves sine anno vel loco”; sold to Wilson for £0.15.0 according to the annotated British Library copy of the sale catalogue - shelfmark S.C.S. 181(3). Wilson (fl. 1831): see above. John Trotter Brockett (1788-1842), F.S.A., lawyer: armorial bookplate (Franks 3792) on front pastedown; lot 1354 “a beautiful copy, russia extra, gilt leaves, with the arms of Lord Strangford on the sides” in Catalogue of the choice and valuable library of the late John Trotter Brockett, Esq., of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (London: S. Leigh, Sotheby & Co., 1843); sold for £0.4.6 to the bookseller, Thomas Thorpe, according to the annotated British Library copy of the sale catalogue - shelfmark S.C.S 246(1). Thomas Thorpe (1791-1851), bookseller, London: see above. William Horatio Crawford (1815-1888), of Lakelands, Cork: armorial bookplate (Franks 7289) on front free endpaper; Crawford’s books sold by Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, 12 Mar., 18 Mar., 25 Nov. 1891: lot 2846 in The Lakelands Library: catalogue of the rare & valuable books, manuscripts and engravings of the late W.H. Crawford, Esq., Lakelands, Cork; sold for £1.10.0 to Quaritch; see the annotated British Library copy of the sale catalogue. Bernard Quaritch (1819-1899), bookseller, London: presumably acting as John Ferguson’s agent. John Ferguson (1837-1916), Professor of Chemistry, University of Glasgow: Ferguson’s pencil acquisition note on verso of front free endpaper “J Ferguson March 25, 91”. University of Glasgow: Ferguson collection purchase, 1921. |
| Binding: | England, 19th-century reddish brown calf; covers have a two-panel design formed by a gold fillet and two different blind rolls; Strangford arms in gilt on both covers with motto (see Provenance); spine rebacked in goatskin; buff coloured endpapers; gilt-edged leaves. Size: 208 x 150 mm. |
| Leaf size: | 202 x 147 mm. |
| Annotations: | One line underlined in red on e4r. |
| Decoration: | None. |
| Imperfections: | Wanting the blank leaf a1. |
Copy 2
| GIP number: | M35/2 |
| Shelf-mark: | Sp Coll Ferguson Al-b.47 (see main library entry for this item) |
| Provenance: | Alexander Douglas-Hamilton, 10th Duke of Hamilton (1767-1852): lot 1802 in The Hamilton Palace Libraries. Catalogue of the Hamilton Library, which will be sold by auction by Messrs. Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge ... on .. the 1st day of May, 1884, and seven days following ... (London: 1884); bought by Quaritch for £2.12.6 according to the printed list of prices and purchasers’ names appended to the catalogue. Bernard Quaritch (1819-1899), bookseller, London: (presumably acting as Ferguson’s agent at the sale) sold book to John Ferguson. John Ferguson (1837-1916), Professor of Chemistry, University of Glasgow: Ferguson’s acquisition note on front free endpaper “John Ferguson 12. V. 84 ... From Hamilton Palace”. University of Glasgow: Ferguson collection purchase, 1921. |
| Binding: | Italy, 18th/19th-century limp card covers; pastedowns consist of a printed broadside, text on front pastedown (partially obscured by bookplate) beginning “Professando la regola di S. Benedetto nel nob. Monistero degli Ogni Santi di Padova l’illustrissima donna Maria An[gela?] [Fran?]cesca Bussetto dedi[...] reverenda madre D. Maria Fortunata Bussetto amorosissima zia paterna della sacra sposa ...” and ending on rear pastedown “In Padova a S. Bortolamio MDCCXC nella Stamperia di Gio: Antonio Conzatti”. Size: 202 x 150 mm. |
| Leaf size: | 197 x 143 mm. |
| Annotations: | Annotation in an early hand on a1v “Prima pars libri huius”; occasional nota marks; single manicule on a5v. |
| Decoration: | Initials supplied in red (often with marginal pen-flourishing in green and red, or in red alone) on a2r to c1r; paragraph marks and capital strokes supplied in red on a3v to c2r. |
| Imperfections: | None. |
Copy 3
| GIP number: | M35/3 |
| Shelf-mark: | Sp Coll Ferguson An-e.21 (see main library entry for this item) |
| Provenance: | Ludwig Rosenthal (1840-1928), bookseller, 16 Hildegardstrasse, Munich: sold book to John Ferguson. John Ferguson (1837-1916), Professor of Chemistry, University of Glasgow: Ferguson’s pencil acquisition note “J.F. Feb. 24, 1890” on front pastedown and note of his supplier “L. Rosenthal” on rear pastedown. University of Glasgow: Ferguson collection purchase, 1921. |
| Binding: | 19th-century parchment-covered boards. Size: 211 x 153 mm. |
| Leaf size: | 207 x 148 mm. |
| Annotations: | Brief 16th-century marginal annotations on b1r and e8v; nota marks on b7v, c4v and e8v; inscription in a 16th-century hand on f8v “Emi libru[m] istum £4 s0 d0” [i.e. lire]. |
| Decoration: | Five-line initial “P” on a2r, seven-line initial “I” and five-line initial “I” on a4r supplied in red (spaces for all other initials left blank); capital strokes and paragraph marks in red from a2r to a4r. |
| Imperfections: | None. |
