Rare, early edition of an influential work by Desiderius Erasmus, which is a call for reform of the Catholic Church. It uses the Ancient Greek figure Alcibiades (ca. 450-404 BC) and the mythical characters known as the Sileni as an allegory for looking beyond appearances in order to perceive someone's (or the Church's) true nature. Erasmus wrote the text as part of his compilation of proverbs, the Adagia, in particular for the revised 1515 edition, where it became one of the most popular entries. It was then published by Froben as a separate work in 1517, with his scholia. The present edition is the fourth or fifth overall, but the first by Servas Kruffter (fl. ca. 1520-1538), and is of considerable scarcity, with only five copies recorded in institutions and none in sales records. The Cologne printer Kruffter was repeatedly restricted by censorship and even put in jail several times. Only a comparatively small number of books from his limited production has survived.
With the bookplate of the Oberherrlingen Library, dated 1839, mounted on the verso of the front board, together with two typed descriptions of the work. The boards are somewhat rubbed, lacking most of the spine. The work is somewhat browned throughout, with a water stain in the inner margin, not affecting the text. Otherwise in good condition. Bibl. Belgica E 261; Erasmus Online 3582; USTC 693956 (4 copies); Vander Haeghen I, 176; VD 16 E 1991; WorldCat 763214270, 150404098 (5 copies); not in Adams; Bezzel; BM STC German; De Reuck.