[DCRM-L] ["EXLIBRIS-L"] 1659 Tyrocinium chymicum

[Robert Maxwell]

Thank you, Fred (and others who also responded with suggestions). Perhaps the printing block with the device was some sort of family heirloom that Blasius decided to use.

Bob

Robert L. Maxwell
Ancient Languages and Special Collections Librarian
6728 Harold B. Lee Library
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602
(801)422-5568

From: Fred Schreiber <ekslibris at me.com>
Sent: Friday, February 26, 2021 3:37 PM
To: exlibris-l at list.indiana.edu
Subject: Re: ["EXLIBRIS-L"] 1659 Tyrocinium chymicum

Hello, Bob,

Your query re: Blasius Le Melais inspired me to do some research, and here’s what I discovered.

As far as I could discover (as you also did) this Blasius Le Melais is not known to have printed any other book.

Next question: Why did Blasius use the Estienne device? My research revealed that a forebear of Blasius was one Émeran Le Melais, a Geneva bookseller who had a business association with the Estienne family: Thus, in 1562, François Estienne issued two of Calvin’s works on behalf of Émeran Le Melais: Sermons sur les dix commandemens (Renouard 159, no. 1, and Peter & Gilmont, Bibliotheca Calviniana II, p. 936), and his Sermons sur le Cantique (not in Renouard, but see Peter & Gilmont, op. cit., pp. 948-9).


Thanks for inspiring me to do a bit of research, Bob.

All good wishes,

Fred

Fred Schreiber
E.K. SCHREIBER RARE BOOKS
285 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024-3006
Phone: (212) 873-3180
email: ekslibris at me.com<mailto:ekslibris at me.com>
https://www.ekslibris.com/spring2021.pdf
Member: ABAA & ILAB
Member: ABAA & ILAB

On Feb 26, 2021, at 3:37 PM, Robert Maxwell <robert_maxwell at byu.edu<mailto:robert_maxwell at byu.edu>> wrote:

Hello, all,

I cataloged a 1659 edition yesterday of Tyrocinium chymicum (digital version here:https://www.google.com/books?id=1ek9JITDVIYC) and am curious about a couple of things.

First, does anybody know anything about the Geneva printer Blasius Le Melais? As far as I can tell this is the only book he printed. Second, he’s using one of the Estienne devices on the title page (it looks like no. 18 in Schreiber, The Estiennes, p. 256)—is he related to the Estienne Geneva operation in some way (perhaps a descendant of an Estienne?) or did he just steal the mark? I don’t think any Estiennes were active in Geneva in 1659.

Thanks,
Bob


Robert L. Maxwell
Ancient Languages and Special Collections Librarian
6728 Harold B. Lee Library
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602
(801)422-5568

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