Lot 196: XIMENES, Franciscus (Francesca Eiximenis OFM, Bishop of Elma, ca 1344-ca 1409). Libro de los santos angeles . [Translated from the Catalan into Spanish.] Burgos: Friedrich Biel (Fadrique de Basilea), 15 October 1490.

XIMENES, Franciscus (Francesca Eiximenis OFM, Bishop of Elma, ca 1344-ca 1409). Libro de los santos angeles. [Translated from the Catalan into Spanish.] Burgos: Friedrich Biel (Fadrique de Basilea), 15 October 1490.

2o (283 x 204 mm). Collation: \Kp\k6; a-r8 s6. 147 leaves (of 148, lacking final blank). 42 lines and headline. 2 columns except in prefatory letter. Gothic types 6:136 (chapter headings and headlines) and 7:98 (text). (A3 with repaired tear crossing text, q8 with pale old wax stain, small on on s3 with loss of a few letters, a few occasional pale stains.) 19th-century vellum gilt. Provenance: Don A. Canovas del Castillo (bookplate); shelf number ink stamped on \Kp\k2r.

VERY RARE EDITION PRINTED AT BURGOS. Friedrich Biel, who moved from Basel to Burgos and was known in Spanish as Fadrique de Basilea, introduced printing in Burgos in March 1485 with an edition of Gutiérrez's Grammatica. During his first period of activity, Fadrique printed about seventy editions. His style shows a great deal of northern influence and little of the indigenous Spanish style. Biel's editions are all quite RARE: according to American Book Prices Current, only four books from his press have appeared on the market in at least thirty years, and no copies of the present work. BMC X, 61; Goff X10; H 16232; Haeb(BI) 703; IBE 2266; Madsen 4248; Pr 9592; Sallander 2500; Vindel(A) VII 52: 14.

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