ERASMUS APOPHTHEGMATA 1532 and LACTANTIUS OPERA 1521.

ERASMUS ROTERODAMUS, DESIDERIUS. Apophthegmatvm Opvs : Cum Primis Frugiferum, Vigilanter ab ipso recognitum autore, e Graeco codice correctis aliquot locis in quibus interpres Diogenis Laertij fefellerat, locupletatum insuper quum varijs per totum accessionibus, tum duobus libris in fine adiectis. Basileae (Basel), in officina Frobeniana, 1532.
Folio (about 315x210 mm., binding 330x235 mm.). (8), 1-401, (14) pp. Title and last leaf verso with woodcut printer's device. Minor foxing. Old annotation on title.

Bound with:

LACTANTIUS, LUCIUS CAECILIUS FIRMIANUS. Habes in hoc volumine lector optime diuina Lactantii Firmiani opera nuper per Ianum Parrhasium accuratissime castigata... Venetiis, Giovanni Tacuino, 1521.
Folio (about 315x210 mm., binding 330x235 mm.).(12), I-CLX, I-XX,(1) ff. Rubricated title printed in red and black with decorative woodcut border, first leaf of text with large red woodcut initial, woodcut initials throughout. Minor marginal foxing.
Contemporary richly blindtooled pigskin over wooden boards, somewhat worn, Clasps, fittings and corner fittings of brass, spine in five compartments.

Erasmus VD16 E 2036 .
The first complete edition of the Apophthegmata, first published in six books in 1531, but the demand for it was so great that Froben issued a new edition in the following year which was much expanded with the addition of books seven and eight. This work consists of witty quotations and is the last of this type of work to be undertaken by Erasmus and represents the fullness of his mind in the last years of his life. Assembled for the young Prince William of Cleves, Erasmus' Apophthegmata consists of thousands of sayings and anecdotes collected from Greek and Latin literature for the moral education of the future ruler.

Provenance: Sven Borgström was born in Malmö in 1927 and worked as a chemist in Stockholm, Malmö and Lund. His fine library which was built up over many years, consists mainly of older books dated from the 15th century to the late 18th century. His book-collecting began, as it perhaps should, with an incunabula. Borgström's interests included printers, book bindings, book illustrations, and he was interested in history, travel and maps. As a result of previous coin collecting, the subject of numismatics was also of interest in his library. Sven Borgström died 95 years old.

See text.