Apr 16, 2026 10:00 EST
Rare Books, Autographs & Maps
4
A postincunable treatise on law with striking illustrations
Property sold to benefit Albertus Magnus High School
[ALLEGRI, FRANCESCO DEGLI]
Tractato nobilissimo della prudentia et justicia. [Venice: Bernardino Vitali, circa 1501?] First edition. Modern half vellum over paper boards, 8 1/2 x 6 inches (21.5 x 15.25 cm). Collation 4º: a–e4; 20 leaves. Binding a touch rubbed. Thumbsoiled throughout with a few very small stains. Leaf e4 supplied in facsimile.
A handsome copy of a very scarce illustrated post-incunable. This work by the Veronese poet Francesco degli Allegri is a short treatise in the vernacular on the two cardinal virtues of Prudence and Justice. Through dialogues between Lady Prudence and Lady Justice, Allegri explores the two virtues in their legal, theological, and political aspects. The volume conains sixteen striking woodcuts, including allegorical depictions of Prudence and Justice, the torture of Marcus Atilius Regulus, the suicide of a Roman consul, and the flaying of Sisamnes. There are also several beautiful historiated initials throughout. This book is extremely scarce. We locate only three copies in institutions, and have been unable to find any record of a copy having sold at auction.
Sold for $2,560
Estimated at $4,000 - $6,000
Includes Buyer's Premium
Property sold to benefit Albertus Magnus High School
[ALLEGRI, FRANCESCO DEGLI]
Tractato nobilissimo della prudentia et justicia. [Venice: Bernardino Vitali, circa 1501?] First edition. Modern half vellum over paper boards, 8 1/2 x 6 inches (21.5 x 15.25 cm). Collation 4º: a–e4; 20 leaves. Binding a touch rubbed. Thumbsoiled throughout with a few very small stains. Leaf e4 supplied in facsimile.
A handsome copy of a very scarce illustrated post-incunable. This work by the Veronese poet Francesco degli Allegri is a short treatise in the vernacular on the two cardinal virtues of Prudence and Justice. Through dialogues between Lady Prudence and Lady Justice, Allegri explores the two virtues in their legal, theological, and political aspects. The volume conains sixteen striking woodcuts, including allegorical depictions of Prudence and Justice, the torture of Marcus Atilius Regulus, the suicide of a Roman consul, and the flaying of Sisamnes. There are also several beautiful historiated initials throughout. This book is extremely scarce. We locate only three copies in institutions, and have been unable to find any record of a copy having sold at auction.
Auction: Rare Books, Autographs & Maps, Apr 16, 2026
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Successful Auction of Rare Books, Autographs & Maps on April 16, 2026 Surpasses Expectations
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Thomas Jefferson Letter Commenting on Toussaint Louverture Achieves $32,000
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Consignments Are Currently Being Accepted for Future Auctions
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We Invite You to Contact Us for Complimentary Auction Estimates of Your Collection
NEW YORK, NY – Doyle's auction of Rare Books, Autographs & Maps on April 16, 2026 saw international competition drive strong results throughout the sale and a total that surpassed expectations.
Thomas Jefferson Letter on Toussaint Louverture
Highlighting the sale was a fascinating 1802 letter from Thomas Jefferson as president to Maryland Governor John Francis Mercer that achieved a strong $32,000. The remarkable letter captures a rare, candid moment in which Jefferson assesses, with striking clarity, the arrest of Toussaint Louverture, a leader of the Haitian Revolution, by French General Charles LeClerc, Napoleon’s brother-in-law. Jefferson perceptively warned that LeClerc’s actions would erode trust and likely spark further racial conflict—an insight that proved remarkably accurate. Beyond its sharp political foresight, the letter reflects the broader anxiety the Haitian Revolution provoked in the United States, which contributed to decades of diplomatic isolation of Haiti.
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Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. We invite you to contact us for complimentary auction estimates. Our Specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.
