Stultifera Navis The Modern Ship of Fools
Philadelphia: For C. And A. Conrad and Co., 1807. First American Edition. Small Octavo. Item #023070
295pp., First translated into English by Alexander Barclay in 1508. Stultifera Navis was originally the work of Sebastian Brant, a Dutchman who composed the book in his native language. It was then translated into Latin by Jame Locherm, a disciple of Brant's, then translated into French by an unknown hand. The author or editor of this edition states that he merely copied a part of Barclay's title page and inserted the running heads of many of his section. He did not want to be branded with the stigma of plagiarism when his work is entirely original. Though he was a forger of Shakespearean letters and papers. Bound in full calf, handsomely rebacked to style, black leather spine label and rules in gilt, endpapers with foxing and an occasional spots of foxing or staining to leaves. From the library of Ezera Wilkinson (whose library sold at auction in 1882), with a note written by him on the front end sheets "Steal not this book....." A very good copy.
Price: $175.00