Beschreibung:

POSTEL, Guillaume (1510-1581). Linguarum duodecim characteribus differentium alphabetum introductio . Paris: Dionysius Lescuier [excudebat P. Vidouaeus, 1538] [ Bound with :] Grammatica Arabica . [ And :] De originibus seu de Hebraicae linguae et gentis antiquitate déque variarum linguarum affinitate . Paris: Dionysius Lescuier [excudebat Petrus Vidouaeus, 27 March 1538].
POSTEL, Guillaume (1510-1581). Linguarum duodecim characteribus differentium alphabetum introductio . Paris: Dionysius Lescuier [excudebat P. Vidouaeus, 1538] [ Bound with :] Grammatica Arabica . [ And :] De originibus seu de Hebraicae linguae et gentis antiquitate déque variarum linguarum affinitate . Paris: Dionysius Lescuier [excudebat Petrus Vidouaeus, 27 March 1538]. 3 parts in one volume, 4° (222 x 168mm). Text in Arabic and Latin. Title of first work in red and black, large woodcut historiated initials. (Title to first work repaired at outer margin with small portion of repair just touching a few printed characters, some occasional soiling.) Later vellum, manuscript title on front cover (some staining, top edges rubbed). Provenance : Capuchin Monastery of Rennes (title inscription) — Vincent (ink inscription on endpaper). FIRST EDITIONS with the EXTREMELY RARE text of Grammatica Arabica printed in Paris by Petrus Gomorsus. Postel’s Linguarum duodecim characteribus contains what probably is the FIRST ARABIC GRAMMAR printed in Europe. This additional text is not dated but was printed in 1538, according to Brunet, or in 1539 or 1540 according to Postel's bibliography. Linguarum duodecim characteribus and De originibus seu de Hebraicae linguae were frequently bound together but this is a very rare issue also containing the 44 extra pages of Grammatica Arabica . Brunet mentions that Postel was not satisfied with the Arabic alphabet produced by his printer and asked another printer for a replacement to be inserted in its place. This replacement, a much larger version than the original, comprises 44 pp. instead of 18, and collates D1-D12, E1-E10. Postel had earlier accompanied La Forest on an embassy to Constantinople, bringing back many rare manuscripts in Arabic and Syriac. In the 'Introduction to the alphabetic character of twelve different languages', Postel became the first scholar to recognise the inscriptions on Judean coins from the period of the Great Jewish Revolt as Hebrew written in the ancient 'Samaritan' characters. Adams P-2029 & P-2021 (lacking the full text of Grammatica Arabica ); BL STC French pp. 364 & 363; Brunet IV, 837 ('Ces trois opuscules n'ont de valeur que lorsqu'ils sont reunis'); Cf. Postel II, 5-11.