Theophrastus: De historia plantarum; De causis plantarum [Greek].

Together with Pseudo- Aristotle Problemata and Mechanica, the genuine Metaphysica, Pseudo- Alexander Aphrodisiensis Problemata, and Theophrastus Metaphysica. Edited by Aldus Manutius.

[Venice: Aldus Manutius, Romanus, 1 June 1497]
Fol. ☩² aaaααα-iiiιιι⁸ κκκ⁸ lllλλλ-rrrςςς⁸ ſſſσσσ-zzzψψψ⁸ &&&ωωω⁸ AAA-BBB⁸ CCCΓΓΓ⁸ DDDΔΔΔ¹⁰ AAAaaa-MMMmmm⁸ NNNnnn-ΞΞΞooo¹⁰ α’a-δ’d⁸ ε’e¹⁰ a’α -b’β⁶ AAAααα-OOOξξξ⁸ PPPooo¹⁰. 1, [1], 1-226, 1-116, 1-42, 1-12, 1-121, [1] leaves.
Woodcut Greek initials; woodcut floral and interlaced headpieces.
ISTC ia00959000; GW 2334 (IV); Goff A959 (IV); BMC V 556 (IB. 24437); Bod-inc A-384 (IV); CIBN A-504; BSB-Ink A-698; Walsh 2645; Ahmanson-Murphy 11.

Though Theophrastus precedes in the title, this is chronologically the fourth of the five volumes of Aristotle’s Opera printed by Aldus Manutius in 1495-1498, but considered by him to form the third. It is sometimes divided and bound in two parts.

Three copies held by the University of Glasgow

Copy 1

GIP number:	T8/1
Shelf-mark:	Sp Coll Hunterian Bh.2.7, 8 (see main library entry for this item)
Variants:	As signalled in CIBN A-504. First quire unsigned as in var. B; yyyχχχ1r: incorrect foliation “158” as in var. B; LLLλλλ4r: correct signature “LLLλλλ IIII” as in var. A.
Note:	Bound in two volumes (dividing after DDDΔΔΔ10).
Note:	Uniformly bound as the fourth and fifth of a six-volume set with Bh.2.4; Bh.2.5; Bh.2.6; Bh.2.9.
Provenance:	Villedonné, Seigneur de (17th century) - a member of the De la Grange family, who held the title Seigneur de Villedonné: inscriptions on the unsigned first leaf recto and on AAAaaa1r “Coll. Aurel. Soc. Jesu. Cat. Ins. Dono D[omi]ni de Villedonne Senatoris Regij in Senatu Aurelianensi”. Orléans, Jesuits (founded 1617): see above. Provenance: Louis Jean Gaignat (1697-1768), Secretary to King Louis XV: Gaignat sale, 1769; lot 831 in Guillaume de Bure, Bibliographie instructive: supplément ... ou catalogue des livres de feu M. L.J. Gaignat, 2 vols (Paris: 1769). William Hunter (1718-1783), physician and anatomist: purchased by Hunter at the Gaignat sale through his agent, Jean-Baptiste Dessain, for 205 livres 2 sous; see Dessain-Hunter correspondence (University of Glasgow Library, MS Gen. 36, f.23r). University of Glasgow: Hunterian bequest, 1807; Hunterian Museum bookplate on front pastedown of each volume, with former shelfmarks “Av.2.7, 5”.
Binding:	France, 18th-century red goatskin decorated with triple gold fillets, a small gold fleuron at each corner; gold-tooled spine; marbled endpapers; gilt-edged leaves; green silk bookmarks. Size: 305 x 218 mm.
Leaf size:	296 x 210 mm.
Annotations:	Marginal annotations in Latin written in dull gold in a humanist hand on MMMµµµ3 (Aristotle, Metaphysica).
Decoration:	On MMMμμμ3r a six-line woodcut initial Π is decorated in deep blue and dull gold.
Imperfections:	Wanting the blank leaf conjugate with ☩1.

Copy 2

GIP number:	T8/2
Shelf-mark:	Sp Coll Bh10-d.12 (see main library entry for this item)
Variants:	As signalled in CIBN A-504. LLLλλλ4r: correct signature “LLLλλλ IIII” as in var. A.
Bound with:	Uniformly bound as the fourth of a five-volume set with Bh10-d.9; Bh10-d.10; Bh10-d.11; Bh10-d.13.
Provenance:	University of Glasgow: source unknown; shelfmark “K.8.5” on University Library bookplate matching entry in A. Arthur, 'Catalogus impressorum librorum in Bibliotheca Universitatis Glasguensis', (Glasguae: 1791).
Binding:	England, 18th-century gold-tooled red goatskin, bound by Christopher Chapman. On both covers double fillets form a frame, within which is an ornamental roll (Nixon, ‘Harleian bindings’, pl. 14, Chapman roll 5); the lozenge-shaped centre-piece frequently found on the covers of Harleian bindings is absent. The head and tail of the spine are decorated with Nixon, ‘Harleian bindings’, pl. 14, Chapman roll 2, and the spine compartments are decorated with several individual tools including Nixon, ‘Harleian bindings’, pl. 15, Chapman no. 8; the edges and turn-ins are decorated with Chapman roll 2; marbled endpapers; edges of leaves left plain. Although associated with Chapman, this copy is not identifiable with the Harleian copy of the Aldine Aristotle, since it does not match Thomas Osborne’s description “foliis deaurat. & Lineis rubris” in his 'Catalogus bibliothecae Harleianae', vol. 1 (1743) no. 5373, and vol. 3 (1744) no. 935. Size: 322 x 220 mm.
Leaf size:	304 x 208 mm.
Annotations:	18th-century shelfmark “K f5. n.9” in ink on first front flyleaf.
Decoration:	None.
Imperfections:	Wanting all before quire AAAaaa (i.e. Theophrastus, Historia plantarum and De causis plantarum), and quires a’α -b’β⁶ (i.e. Pseudo- Aristotle, Problemata and Mechanica).

Copy 3

GIP number:	T8/3
Shelf-mark:	Sp Coll Bl10-d.10 (see main library entry for this item)
Note:	Margins and lower blank half of recto of first leaf reinforced.
Variants:	As signalled in CIBN A-504. First gathering unsigned as in var. B; yyyχχχ1r: incorrect foliation “158” as in var. B.
Provenance:	Robert Foulis (1707-1776) & Andrew Foulis (1712-1775), printers and booksellers, Glasgow. University of Glasgow: purchased via Professor George Ross from Robert and Andrew Foulis, 28 Oct. 1743, for £0.8.0; see Glasgow University Archives 32298; shelfmark “M.2.11” on book-plate matching entry in A. Arthur, ‘Catalogus impressorum librorum in Bibliotheca Universitatis Glasguensis’ (Glasguae: 1791).
Binding:	18th-century blind-tooled calf, covers tooled to a triple panel design; marbled endpapers; sprinkled red-edged leaves; front flyleaf has a watermark of three circles arranged vertically, the upper circle, which is surmounted by a cross, contains a crescent moon, the middle circle contains a bird, and the lower circle contains the letter “M” - cf. Heawood 302 for a similar mark. Size: 305 x 207 mm.
Leaf size:	298 x 196 mm.
Annotations:	17th/18th-century shelfmark “G. f.4. n.11” on verso of front free endpaper (not a University Library shelfmark) together with a partially read code “K[...]gf”; division of text indicated by underlining and by numbering in margins (18th century?); 18th-century price “10s 6d” in ink on front flyleaf.
Decoration:	None.
Imperfections:	Wanting parts I-III and V; i.e. a copy of part IV only, but containing just the text of Theophrastus, De historia plantarum and De causis plantarum, and wanting all after DDDΔΔΔ10, as well as the blank leaf conjugate with ☩1.