(Massario) Francesco & Rhenanus (Beatus, editor)

In Nonum Plinii de Naturali historia librum castigationes et annotationes, FIRST EDITION, woodcut printer’s devices to title, Z4v, and last verso, 2 historiated intials ‘Q’ with a representation of the death of the Roman general Marcus Licinius Crassus, and Diogenes and Aristippus, errata at end, gathering G misbound after H, light age yellowing, a few tiny tears to blank margins, some dust soiling and thumbing throughout, unidentified early ownership note to title, contemporary paneled calf, featuring fleur de lys motifs, re-backed, cover wisely restored, a little scuffed, later endpapers, [VD 16, M 1337; Adams M 861; Waller 10943; Wellcome I, 4116], 4to, Bâle, s.n. [Jérôme Froben et Nicolas Episcopium], 1537.

*** First edition of the comment of Francesco Massario, Italian naturalist, on fish and aquatic life, based on the 9th book of the natural history of Pliny. Includes dedicatory letter by German humanist, writer, and advocate of Christian reform, Beatus Rhenanus, to Balthasar Entzesberger, doctor in Sélestat. Beatus Rhenanus specifies that Massari's work is based on his travels in the Adriatic and the Mediterranean, and he openly criticizes the methodological approach of the author who had been a pupil of Hermolano Barbaro.