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The latest addition to our reference library is Bietenholz, Peter: Contemporaries of Erasmus. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1985–1987 (3 volumes).
If you love 15th and 16th century books, then Contemporaries is an indispensable reference book for you. Contemporaries describes and depicts with lovely illustrations a veritable “who’s who” of the Renaissance and Reformation and we highly recommend you find space for it in your library. Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466–1536) was a prolific and influential thinker who lived in the Netherlands, France, Italy, England, Switzerland, and Germany. In Contemporaries, Bietenholz and his colleagues offer up biographical information of more than 1,900 people mentioned in the correspondence of Erasmus.
For many of us Wikipedia has replaced traditional multi-volume biographical encyclopedias. Contemporaries fills a nice niche. It not only provides biographical sketches but also puts them into context within the life of Erasmus and his influence on Western thought. Rather than relying on bland Wikipedia entries, this book creates a network node of your favorite 15th and 16th century authors. If you collect old books, you will find your friends in these pages and relish new connections between them.
Here are some of the friends we’ve reconnected with, together with their respective listings on our website:
Agricola, Georgius (1490–1555). Agricola was a German physician best known for his study in metallurgy and mining. Agricola had a profound admiration for Erasmus and the two of them collaborated. For example, Erasmus offered to read the manuscript of Agricola’s De mensuris et ponderibus and Erasmus wrote favorable reviews of Agricola’s publications.
We have on offer the 1558 edition of the first book of modern mineralogy and mining engineering: Agricola’s De ortu & causis subterraneorum:
https://funkebooks.com/shop/agricola-georg/
Bembo, Pietro (1470–1547). Both Bembo and Erasmus were famous scholars. Bembo served as secretary to Pope Leo X, was made a Cardinal in 1539, and became historian of Venice and librarian at what is now the Bibliotheca Marciana. Erasmus wrote that he “began to love and admire” Bembo.
Bembo has been a best-seller across the centuries. We’ve sold more 16th century Bembo than any other 16th century author and currently have three in stock:
1. https://funkebooks.com/shop/delle-lettere-a-sommi-pontefici-a-cardinali-et-ad-altri-signori-et-
persone-con-la-giunta-della-vita-del-bembo-descritta-per-il-medisimo/
and
2. https://funkebooks.com/shop/bembos-famous-rime/
and
3. https://funkebooks.com/shop/bembos-letters/
Fabri, Johannes (1478–1541). Fabri was the Bishop of Vienna known for his highly intolerant views on Turkish people and Anabaptists, which earned him the nickname “Hammer of Heretics”. He was also a close friend of Erasmus. The two communicated frequently and referred to each other as “friends”. Fabri’s intolerance became a sticking point in the relationship and Erasmus had to remind Fabri to not use his name to support Fabri’s extreme positions.
A very scarce set of Fabri sermons against the Anabaptists and on the victory against the Turkish during the Siege of Vienna in 1529 may be found here:
https://funkebooks.com/shop/fabri-johannes/
Pico della Mirandola, Gianfrancesco (1469–1533). Pico was a philosopher committed to a new synthesis built around Arabic and Hebrew studies and was significantly influenced by the Cabbala. Erasmus admired Pico’s fame and stature as a scholar. Some claim that Erasmus’ Enchiridion was based on Pico’s writings.
Currently in stock is an annotated 1498 incunable of Pico’s Oration on the Dignity of Man. To read more about one of our personal favorite books, click here:
https://funkebooks.com/shop/bound-with-an-annotated-incunable/
For your further reading pleasure, we produced a catalogue of 16th-century books that can be viewed here:
https://funkebooks.com/lists/sixteenth-century/
20,000 (!) pages of manuscript monastic financial records spanning three centuries are described here:
https://funkebooks.com/lists/Monastic-Financial-Records/
And, to find all our pre-1800 books, please click below:
https://funkebooks.com/early-printing/
