Spotlight

ERASMUS VON ROTTERDAM, Desiderius (1469-1536). Das Theür vnd künstlich Büchlin Morie Encomion, das ist, Ein Lob der Thorheit ... - Von der Heylosigkeit, Eitelkeit, vnd vngewißheit aller Menschlichen Künst vnd Weißheit, Zu ende mit angehefft. Ein Lob des Esels, auß Heinrico Cornelio Agripa, De Vanitate, &c. verteütscht. - Von dem Bam des wissens Gutz vñ Böß ... - Encomium, Ein Lob des Thorechten Göttlichen Worts ... Alles zum teil beschrieben, durch Sebastianum Francken von Wörd. 4° (197x150 mm). [4], 178, [6] ll. Title in red and black. Modern vellum. Some minor foxing and staining, else a fine copy with wide margins. [Ulm, Hans Varnier, ca. 1542/43]. 

One of the great texts in world literature in the first German translation.

This is the second German edition of Praise of Folly, by Sebastian Franck (1499-1543) published together with his translation of  Agrippa of Nettesheim's De incertitudine et vanitate scientiarum and two of Franck's own works. Franck was as a freethinker, humanist, pacifist, and radical reformer one of the most impressive independent theologians of the time and a great admirer of Erasmus of Rotterdam, who on the other hand did not show much appreciation for Franck's work. Ironically Franck's expulsion from Strasbourg in 1531 was in fact due to a complaint which Erasmus had submitted to the city government because he had listed him among the 'great and unjustly persecuted heretics of Christendom'.  In 1534 he settled in Ulm, and published the present work.

Unlike the first edition, this second edition does not contain an errata although it still has the same errors. Varnier also omitted his device at the end. The still uncertain dating of publication was established on Sammelbands in Bonn and Greifswald, which also contain Franck's Paradoxa of 1542. Kaczerowski points out the erroneous foliation which in some copies was apparently corrected in the standing type; the Greifswald copy contains the wrong signature Aiij instead of Aii. In our copy the foliation on leafs 24, 46, 53 and 55 is corrected, but on leafs 56 and 172 erroneous and on 50 and 52 lacking, and Aii has the correct signature.

An extremely rare book

The copy at hand is the only one that we can trace in the trade for at least the last four decades. It was offered for sale in 2001 in our catalogue 907 (lot 69) and ten years later at Christie's (sale 3013, lot 23).

Provenance: Johann Heinrich Waser (1713-1777), with his name inscribed on the title page and on p. 128. Pastor Waser belonged to the Zurich circle around Johann Jakob Bodmer, who endeavoured to promote the reception of English literature in the German-speaking world. His literary works include letters, sermons, fables, moral and edifying works and various satirical writings. He is of literary importance above all as a translator of Jonathan Swift and Samuel Butler.

Bibliographie: Bezzel, 1324; Bezzel, Deutsche Uebersetzungen des 16. Jahrhunderts (1980), p. 94; Kaczerowski, Sebastian Franck Bibliographie, A 86; VD16, E-3203, F-2139 and A-1170; Goedeke II, 12, 21; Hohenemser 4205.

PRICE:  18 000