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LAETUS, Pomponius. Grammaticae compendium.

Venice, Baptista de Tortis., 31 March 1484.

Quarto (194 x 142 mm.), [40] leaves, Roman type; collation: a-e8. Two small water stains in the upper and lower white margins of the last few pages, a few spots; overall a good copy in seventeenth century stiff vellum.

First edition of this Latin grammatical treatise by the Italian classicist Julius Pomponius Laetus (1428-1497). A simple and clear textbook, Laetus discusses in its introduction his intention to teach young children the foundations of Latin, having “reframed that which can be contained by hand, so that the one who reads frequently and especially at a tender age may reap the fruit'', and delivers the promise to his students that they will soon be able to read the works of Cicero. The work is divided into plain syntactic sections, starting with nouns and declensions, delving into pronouns, verbs, adverbs and prepositions. The treatise opens with the passage: ‘‘Grammar is an art necessary for children, pleasant to the aged, and a sweet companion of secrets. It is divided into two parts: the correct speaking and writing; and the interpretation of poets with accurate reading.”
Pomponius Laetus was, fundamentally, a teacher and educator. Born in Salerno, he was the illegitimate son of Giovanni Sanseverino and the brother of Roberto Sanseverino (ca.1430-1474), prince of Salerno. Fascinated with the ancient Roman world, Laetus studied in Rome and became a pupil of the humanist Lorenzo Valla (1407-1457), whom he succeeded as chair of eloquence at the university. Admired by his contemporaries for his knowledge of Roman antiquity, he gathered around him a circle of scholars and men of letters devoted to the study of Classics, Roman antiquarianism and archaeology. The Accademia Romana, as it became known, came under scrutiny by the Papal authorities in 1468 and its members were arrested and tortured at Castel Sant'Angelo due to suspicions of sodomy, heresy, paganism, and opposition to the Church. Released a year later, Laetus resumed his teaching post at the Sapienza, where he taught for most of his life. Only three copies in UK institutions (BL and Oxford: New College and Bodleian)

ISTC il00023000; USTC 993691; Gesamtkatalog der Wiegendrucke M16701; Goff L23; Hillard 1678; BMC V 323; Goff L23