CRESCENZI’S ‘‘ RURALIUM”’ 295 
work on agriculture, written in Latin in twelve books, speedily 
translated into Italian, a work modelled on the plan of Columella 
-and Palladius, and ending with a Farmer’s Calendar ; but unlike 
them in containing a formal alphabetical series of chapters descrip- 
tive of separate plants. His work included also many original ob- 
servations and results of personal familiarity with nature. It was first 
known as Ruralium commodorum libri (earlier Latin editions), or as 
De agricultura (Latin editions of Basle, and earlier translations *), 
Some facts were nena: regarding him from the Bologna archives by an unknown 
biographer and prefixed to t ologna edition of his works in Italian; 1784 
It is said by Tiraboschi te Crescenzi left Bologna in 1272, the year of the expul- 
sion of the anon ons factio 
probably son or eee of that Crescenzi of Bologna, who died while 
ambassador to cord 
feyer, 4: 140, site « out that three types of MSS. of Crescenzi have given rise 
to three cles of the printed text, those of Augsburg, Louvain and Basle, as follows = 
1471, Augsburg, by Johann Schiiszler, with title Petri de Crescentits, civis Bonon., 
Rirsion commodorum libri duodecim.—Reissued with figures (but no date) ; and in 
1493 at Mentz ( Hain’s 5832). 
1474, Louvain, by Ante de Westfalia ; with similar title; without signatures ; 
(two others undated were deemed younger by Meyer because with signatures) ; seems 
486. 
1518, Basle, by Henric Petri; also 1538, 1548; has a chapter De riso, lacking in 
the others; bore the title ‘ De sercatur,” i the ‘ Agricolo et Philosopho Petro 
Crescentiensi, Qui haec Senator Bononiae,’’ etc. 
* TRANSLATIONS INCLUDE: 
Old Tuscan translation wrongly attributed to Crescenzi himself and made in or 
about his own time ; ; printed by Nicholaus Laurentii, Florence, 1478, and cary Meyer 
using one of Venice e, 1542. One of the important monuments of the Tusca gue 
itle, ** Libro della agricultura,’’ Other editions are those of Vicenza, on (by 
Leonhard _ of Basle), Naples 1724, Bologna 1784, Milan 1805. 
Second Italian, ‘‘ Pietro Crescentio tradutto nuovamente, per Francesco Sanso- 
vino,” saree by him at Venice, completed early in 1561 ; its dedication to the Duke of 
Urbino, Noy. 29, 1560; a quarto of about 520 pages, finely executed, with nearly 200 
small woodcuts of plants ; these figures are different from those included in the con- 
temporary edition of Matthioli’s Commentary, Venice 1560. 
The figures are often se but sometimes leans misplaced, as when the 
figure of the moss Polytrichum is used to i illustrate the chapter on ee here 
9 of Ficaria both, explaining that either is used but the larger is et 
: made doubtless from the Augsburg edition, = agreeing in ome two 
chapters on Pianteggine, while the Louvain form has but on 
