Apr 16, 2026 10:00 EST
Rare Books, Autographs & Maps
6
A complete set of the first Aldine edition of Livy
Property sold to benefit Albertus Magnus High School
LIVIUS, TITUS
Ex XIIII. T. Livii. Decadibus Prima, Tertia, Quarta... Venice: in aedibus Aldi et Andreae soceri, 1518-1519-1520-1521-1533. First Aldine edition. Five volumes, unifomly bound in 18th century vellum with pastedowns of decorated paper, 6 1/2 x 4 inches (16.5 x 10.25 cm). Collates complete, with all blank leaves present except for leaf YY4 in volume 2 with the Aldine printer's device. Bindings rubbed, with some small stains and slight chipping to the joints. Some contemporary marginal notes throughout that have been washed but often remain faintly legible. Thumbsoiling, occasional light spotting and foxing throghout. A few leaves with expert paper repairs to the margins. Volume 2 lacks the terminal leaf YY4 as noted. Contemporary manuscript ownership inscription of Hieronymus Mutrarobba; 19th-century armorial bookplate of Biblioteca Giuliari (Giovanni Battista Giuliari, 1810-1892; see Bragaglia 2094); bookplate of Oscar E. Carbone. Overall a pleasing set.
The first Aldine edition of Livy's important history of Rome. Paulus Manutius printed the fifth volume of this set in 1533, just a few years after Simon Grynaeus discovered a manuscript of the fifth Decade.
Property sold to benefit Albertus Magnus High School
LIVIUS, TITUS
Ex XIIII. T. Livii. Decadibus Prima, Tertia, Quarta... Venice: in aedibus Aldi et Andreae soceri, 1518-1519-1520-1521-1533. First Aldine edition. Five volumes, unifomly bound in 18th century vellum with pastedowns of decorated paper, 6 1/2 x 4 inches (16.5 x 10.25 cm). Collates complete, with all blank leaves present except for leaf YY4 in volume 2 with the Aldine printer's device. Bindings rubbed, with some small stains and slight chipping to the joints. Some contemporary marginal notes throughout that have been washed but often remain faintly legible. Thumbsoiling, occasional light spotting and foxing throghout. A few leaves with expert paper repairs to the margins. Volume 2 lacks the terminal leaf YY4 as noted. Contemporary manuscript ownership inscription of Hieronymus Mutrarobba; 19th-century armorial bookplate of Biblioteca Giuliari (Giovanni Battista Giuliari, 1810-1892; see Bragaglia 2094); bookplate of Oscar E. Carbone. Overall a pleasing set.
The first Aldine edition of Livy's important history of Rome. Paulus Manutius printed the fifth volume of this set in 1533, just a few years after Simon Grynaeus discovered a manuscript of the fifth Decade.
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.
