DIODORUS SICULUS (fl. 1st century B.C.). Bibliothecae historicae libri VI. Translated by Poggius Florentinus. – TACITUS, Gaius Cornelius (c.56–c.117). Germania. Venice: Andreas de Paltasichis, 31 January 1476/77.

Two Classical texts rediscovered by Poggius and Nicolaus de Niccolis. Not published in the original Greek until the 16th century, Diodorus’ Bibliothecae historicae was one of the texts rediscovered by Poggio in the 15th century, as referenced by Phyllis Goodhart Gordan in Two Renaissance Book Hunters. It was first printed in 1472 at Bologna as translated into Latin by Poggio at the bequest of Pope Nicolaus V; the present, second edition reprints Poggio's translation. Like the first, it includes Tacitus’ study of Germanic populations, itself a text largely unknown in the Middle Ages and surviving in a single manuscript found at a German monastery by Poggio and Niccoli around 1425. HC 6189*; BMC V 251; Bod-inc D-070; BSB-Ink D-149; CIBN D-129; GW 8375; Goff D-211; ISTC id00211000.

Chancery folio (273 × 185mm). 127 leaves (of 128, without preliminary blank). Ruled in red (occasional light stains heaviest on q1, two small tears in gutter of q1). 19th-century gold-tooled calf designed in the style of works bound for Henri III possibly for one of his Orders of Penitents, possibly by Théodore (Louis) Hagué, skull-and-bone tools and “Spes mea Deus” lettering on black painted fields, fleur-de-lys and royal crown tools between ornate fanfare-like frames, medallions on upper and lower covers depicting the Crucifixion and the ?Annunciation respectively, edges gilt and gauffred (superficial cracking, hinges rubbed). Provenance: contemporary running chapter heading in Book 3 and part of Book 4 of the Bibliothecae, manuscript initial added to q1 and date added in Arabic numerals to colophon – Howard Lehman Goodhart (1884–1952; label; gifted to his daughter:) – Phyllis Goodhart Gordan (1913–1994; leather label); by descent.