Lucensium Oratio Luculentissima Pont. Maximo Alexandro Sexto per Nicolaum Tygrinu[m] Lucensem Vtriusq]ue] Iuris

Rome: [Andreas Freitag],15 October 1492, 1492. Later black roan & gray boards, spine letters gilt.Binding slightly worn, first leaf lightly soiled. Ex-libris Walter Goldwater. Oration such as this are usually rare and short this one is both it is a tribute from the City of Lucca to the election of Pope Alexander VI. This is one of three almost simultaneously published prints of this on October 25, 1492 before the newly elected Borgia Pope Alexander VI. held this speech. - "This was the typical 'Oratio' - in the style of the times, both florid and unctous - which extolled the virtues of the Pope, traits which subsequent events failed to confirm!" (Bühler) According to Bühler's study, The Freitag printing was preceded by the editions of Stephan Planck (in Roman type) , whose corrections Freitag employed in his edition."

CF Bühler, The Earliest Editions of the "Oratio" (1492) by Nicolaus Tygrinus (in: Gutenberg JB 1975, pp. 97-99)"


Goff T563; HC 15751*; Pell Ms 10972; CIBN T-51; Nice 209; IGI 9670; IBE 5542; BMC IV 137;


United States of America
Baltimore MD, The Walters Art Museum Library
Bryn Mawr College, Goodhart Medieval Library
Library of Congress, Rare Books Division
New York, Columbia University, Butler Library
San Marino CA, Huntington Library
Southern Methodist Univ., Bridwell Library
Southern Methodist Univ., de Golyer Library
New Haven CT, Yale University, Beinecke Library


Andreas Freitag and most of the of other Roman printers of note, Have Gernan names which might indicate German birth and education. This conclusion is warranted by their occasional use of Gothic types for devotional books of inferior size. A few unnamed Italians were connected with these early printing houses, but mainly as patrons or money-lenders. They did not desire to have their names appear as partners. Freitag printed one book at Gaeta dated 1487, then he turns up in Rome in 1492 and seems to have been still printing 1495. Quarto, A4. 7¾ x 5 inches First Edition (see below). This copy is bound in lBound in a vellum printed leaf bay Jenson 1497T. Ex-libris Walter Goldwater.