Yale Center for British Art

Creator:

Virgil

Title:

Here fynyssheth the boke yf [sic] Eneydos / compyled by Vyrgyle, which hathe be translated oute of latyne in to frenshe, and oute of frenshe reduced in to Englysshe by me wyll[ia]m Caxton, the xxij. daye of Iuyn. the yere of our lorde. M.iiij. Clxxxx. The fythe yere of the regne of kynge Henry the seuenth.

Alternate Title(s):

Here fynyssheth the boke of Eneydos

Published / Created:

[Westminster] : [William Caxton], [not before 23 June 1490]

Physical Description:

[172] p. ; 26 cm (fol.)

Holdings:

Rare Books and Manuscripts
PA6807.A5 C3 1490
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection

Copyright Status:

Classification:

Books

Notes:

A translation of a French version by Guillaume Le Roy of an Italian paraphrase of parts of the "Aeneid" by Virgil and "De casibus illustrium virorum" by Giovanni Boccaccio.

Title from colophon.

Beginning of text, A1r: "After dyuerse werkes made, translated and achieued, hauyng noo werke in hande. I sittyng in my studye where as laye many dyuerse paunflettis and bookys. happened that to my hande cam a lytyl booke in frenshe."

Beginning of text on A2 recto: "nest and grete clerkes haue ben wyth me and desired me to wryte the moste curyous termes that I coude fynde ... "

Beginning of text on B1 recto: "To the honour of god almyghty, and to the gloryous vyrgyne Marye moder of alle grace ... "

Aiij2 and leaf L8 are blank.

Signatures: A⁶ B-L⁸.

Without pagination or foliation, and with no catchwords.

31 lines to the full page.

With Caxton's device on leaf L7 verso.

Carl H. Pforzheimer Library, 1026

Copinger, W.A. Supplement to Hain's Repertorium bibliographicum, 6159

Duff, E.G. Fifteenth century English books, 404

English short title catalogue, S109601

Pollard, A.W. Short-title catalogue of books printed in England, Scotland, & Ireland and of English books printed abroad, 1475-1640, 24796

Grolier Club. Fifty-five books printed before 1525 (1968), 15

Goff, F.R. Incunabula in American libraries, V 199

Needham, P. Printer & the pardoner, Cx 97

Rhodes (Oxford colleges), 1832

Pollard, A.W. Short-title catalogue of books printed in England, Scotland, & Ireland and of English books printed abroad, 1475-1640 (2nd ed.), 24796

Selected exhibitions: "Fifty-five Books Printed before 1525: Representing the Works of England's First Printers, an Exhibition from the Collection of Paul Mellon" (Grolier Club, 17 January-3 March 1968).

BAC: British Art Center copy lacks leaf L8 (blank). Bound in 18th-century diced calf, with gilt edges. Had bound with it: Sallust. Here begynneth the famous cronycle of the warre which the Romayns had agaynst Iugurth vsurper of the kyngdome of Numidy. Imprented at London: By Richarde Pynson, printer vnto the kynges noble grace, [1523 or 1524?]

BAC: British Art Center copy: "At front is the bookplate of Joseph Brereton, 'E libris / Josephi Brereton. / de Helmingham in Com. Suffolc. At back, another, 'E libris / Josephi Brereton. / Regin. Coll. Cantab.' On one of the flyleaves is Brereton's ownership inscription with the date 1738 and a note in his hand: 'The Classics of an Age that heard of none, / Here Caxton sleeps with Pynson at his side.' (referring to the Pynson Sallust bound with the Virgil). De Ricci (96.3) located this copy in the Earl of Dysart's collection. It was sold in the Dysart sale at Sotheby's (June 1938) where it was bought by Maggs. From Sir Arthur Howard."--Grolier Club.

Subject Terms:

Brereton, Joseph, 1719–1787 -- Bookplate. | Dysart, William John Tollemache, 1859–1935 -- Provenance. | Incunabula in Yale Library.

Form/Genre:

Printer's marks. | Woodcuts.

Contributors:

Caxton, William, approximately 1422–1491 or 1492, printer, translator. | Free translation of (work): Virgil. Aeneis. | Free translation of (work): Le Roy, Guillaume, active 1473–1493. Livre de Eneydes. | Free translation of (work): Boccaccio, Giovanni, 1313–1375. De casibus virorum illustrium.