Binding: 19th-century half treed calf over gray and blue marbled boards; spine, , bearing green and red morocco labels, handsomely gilt with rules and rolls and center devices in the compartments. All edges green.

Provenance:  Ink inscription on front fly-leaf, vol. I, dated 1823 at London, by the painterSIR GEORGE HAYTER (1792–1871), who lived in Italy for part of his career and collected old master paintings. Hayter and his second wife, Louisa, left London for Rome in 1816, where he abandoned the miniature paintings that made him famous in England and took up full-scale portraits, landscapes, and historical subjects. After returning home for some years Hayter moved again to Florence, but was forced to leave after Louisa killed herself. Despite the scandal, Hayter was elected to the academies of Florence, Parma, and Bologna; knighted in England; and he was appointed court painter by Queen Victoria.

Engraved bookplates on the front pastedowns of both volumes read, “To Angelo C. Hayter, From his affectionate Father, Sir George Hayter, 1864.” According to the DNB, “To [Sir George's] regret his son Angelo gave up painting as a profession and joined the civil service, rising to become chief reviewer of wills at Somerset House.”

Evidence of readership: Pencil annotations in the margin of p. 279, vol. I, by G.H. [George Hayter], giving the current location in 1850 of a painting by Bonifacio Veneziano — of Herod's daughter bringing John the Baptist's head to him during a meal — formerly belonging to the King of England and“now in possession of the Duke of Bedford,” George Hayter's most important patron (DNB), whose collection he must have known intimately.

•  Brunet, IV, 1300 (“estimé et assez rare”); Graesse, VI, 120; Cicognara 2359 (“Opera tenuta in gran pregio potendosi chiamare questo autore il Vasari dei veneziani”); Gamba 2063; UCBA, II, 1739; Arntzen & Rainwater, p. 90; on George Hayter, see: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online.   Bound as above, extremities and boards a little rubbed. I: Nine plates wanting. Inkstains (limited) in lower margin of frontispiece and natural flaws in upper margin of title-page; small tear in outer margin of one leaf. II: Two plates wanting. One plate repaired in upper inside corner, another lightly frayed at fore-edge; natural flaw in outer margin of one leaf. In each volume a few ink smudges not from a pen but from the press, a bit of bug-spotting, a little thumb-soiling, and some quires browned. A handsome, enjoyable set in itself and one with a provenance to conjure with.  (30087)

•  Adams A475; Index Aurel. 102.349.   Contemporary vellum, worn and darkened, lacking ties. Hinges (inside) with insect damage causing partial opening, text block starting to pull away from spine. Front free endpaper with two inked ownership inscriptions, one dated 1620 and one 1898. Small area of worming to upper inner margins of about 40 leaves, minor and not approaching text. Scattered instances of early inked underlining and a very few marginalia, pages otherwise pleasingly clean. Ready for many more years of use!  (26501)

•  Binding as above in original cream paper boards embossed in an all-over leafy pattern; apparently issued without a title-leaf. Light soiling on boards, spine lightly worn. (31393)

The text is divided into sections by author, each of whom the editor introduces with a brief biography. A short abstract printed in roman precedes each poem, printed in italic. Fine woodcut head- and tailpieces, and a variety of initials in historiated, patterned, and factotum designs, decorate the text; and the title-page features the woodcut printers' device of Truth personified, flanked by an eagle, a lion, a bull, and an angel, representing the Four Evangelists.

Provenance:  Ownership inscription on front fly-leaf of Luigi Pagani Cesa, possibly the Italian jurist born at Belluno in 1855, who served as a member of Parliament for 1904–13; and the words “penso che” (“I think that . . .”) written above, in an earlier hand?

•  Adams A1691; CNCE 2806.   Later glazed cream-colored boards, title and date inked on upper spine, small paper label on lower spine, marbled red edges; boards soiled and front joint opening. One spot of worming on front pastedown and on colophon leaf; traces of former mounting on colophon leaf verso. Title-page with one letter added in manuscript (o, in Bentivoglio). Trimmed close at margins almost grazing headline on a few leaves. Very minor stains on a few leaves, generally bright and crisp.  (30836)

The work at hand was a widely read and respected history of the founding and history of Valencia, and Spain, through the 11th century, with the last chapters having much to say aboutEl Cid. The translation is the work of Alfonso de Ulloa, who translated a number of important Spanish texts into Italian.

Gabriel Giolito, the most prolific printer in Italy during the 16th century, printed about 850 books from the date of founding his press in 1539 to his death in 1578; he exercised great influence on his contemporaries and successors in the form and decoration of books. This work is printed in his italic type, has a woodcut printer's device on title-page and a different one on the verso of final leaf, woodcut head- and tail-pieces, and decorative and historiated woodcut initials. The preliminary matter containsa double-page woodcut map of Spain.

A curious aspect of the text is the claim that Spaniards fleeing the Moorish invasion settled in America in the Yucatan! What a fable!

Provenance:  17th-century private ownership stamp on title of a heart surrounding the letters COP; late 20th- and early 21st-century bookplate of Kenneth Rapoport.

•  EDIT 16 CNCE 5679; Index Aureliensis 118418; Palau 28828; Alden & Landis 556/6.   Contemporary limp vellum, evidence of lost ties. Tear in rear joint (outside), unidentified monogram stamp on title-page, light dampstaining in lower inner corner of early leaves. A complete copy with the sometimes missing map.  (31270)

•  Darlow & Moule 1456; Rumball-Petre 52.   Publisher's dark green ribbed cloth, covers framed in blind with large, elegant blind-stamped floriate devices in the corners; spine with gilt-stamped title and list of languages, this rebacked preserving the majority of the original spine and lettering, corners refurbished. Lower page edges (closed), title-page, and final page each with an old institutional rubber-stamp, title-page and one sectional title pressure-stamped, first preface page with inked numeral in lower margin, no other markings. Two leaves each with short tear from upper inner margin, not touching text; a scattering of very light spots in first and final sections, central portion with more consistent but still extremely faint spotting in lower margins; overall a strong, clean, attractive volume.  (30972)

The scrupulous, unnamed editor is thought to be Marchigiano Alessandro Maggiori (1764–1834), whose return to the original manuscripts makes this themost accurate printing to date, improving on Domenico Maria Manni's 1726 edition. The first edition was that of 1623, published by the artist's grand-nephew.

The Italian text is printed in roman and italic, with sweet little woodcut ornaments of an eagle, Pegasus, plants, a shooting star, feathers, arrows, and an owl perched on a book, some incorporating phrases in Latin, Italian, or Greek. The title-page and final page of two sections feature a woodcut device of a flour bolter and the motto “Il più bel fior ne coglie,” symbol for the Accademia della Crusca, a Florentine society of scholars founded in 1583.

•  Gamba, Testi di lingua, 250; Norton, C.E., “List of the Principal Books Relating to the Life and Works of Michelangelo,” in Bibliographical contributions 3 (Harvard, 1879), p. 7, no. 5; Ragionieri, Michelangelo: The Man and the Myth, p. 62.   Contemporary quarter green calf over green and brown marbled paper boards, brown speckled edges, pink and green striped ribbon place holder; author, title, and ornaments gilt on spine. Boards rubbed with paper chipped at corners; two round wormholes to title-page and following leaf well away from type, one continuing through 45 leaves. Minor to mild foxing throughout, very light waterstaining to lower gutter of 70 or so pages. Artful poetry!  (30675)

Binding:  Publisher's vellum, spine gilt extra with gilt-stamped red leather title-label. Endpapers with gilt and black Renaissance design; all page edges stained red.

•  Binding as above, somewhat sprung; spine slightly darkened with label a bit rubbed. Front pastedown with ticket of a Rome bookseller. One signature unopened; pages very clean. Delightful.  (28960)

The Corollarium is only found bound with the Adlocutiones, as here; however the latter was also published separately the same year. Both were printed by Pietro Nesti at Florence using roman and italic type with woodcut initials, ornaments, head- and tailpieces. This volume concludes with the original final blank, lacking in many copies, although the Corollarium seems to lack a preliminary signature of two leaves (probably a blank and a sectional title leaf).

Provenance:  Front fly-leaf and title-page with early owner's inscription of Oliver Pagn[...]; fly-leaf verso with owner's inscription dated 1650 of Jo[h]annes Baptista Adimari (related, perhaps, to Alessandro Adimari, a member of Gaddi's Accademia who died in 1649?); and front fly-leaf with later owner's inscription of Philadelphian Henry John Gibbons (“Rittenhouse Square West”).

•  Contemporary flexible vellum with title inked to spine, pierced at the edges for four ties, now wanting; repairs with tissue to headcap, spine, and front cover edge. Title-page and following leaf repaired in two places, and following 30 pp. repaired in outer margin; first two leaves of second book wanting, as above. Foxing and occasional other staining throughout, the occasional tear, one leaf holed touching text but not spoiling reading, rear free endpaper torn away. Doodlings on front pastedown and fly-leaf; brief index to the first part written by an early hand on final recto and rear pastedown; later pencil markings. A proud witness to the interests of (Italian) academia.  (30505)

The subject of this work is the rivalry between Spain and France for political and religious supremacy in the Catholic realm of Europe, but the author also discusses national traits, as he sees them, such as manner of dressing, walking, eating, and talking.

•  Palau 97802.   Recent boards covered with marbled paper; leather spine label gilt with title. Some lower margins irregular due to natural paper flaws. All edges speckled red. A very good copy.  (25812)

The Historia general de las Indias (first published in 1552) is divided into two parts which stand on their own although clearly written as two parts of a whole. Part I is a history of events concerning the discovery and conquests of the New World exclusive of those involving Cortés. Part II is entirely dedicated to the telling of Cortés's role in the conquest of Mexico and subsequent discoveries.

Click the images for enlargements.

In this Italian translation from the pen of Agostino di Cravaliz, López's “all-Cortés” volume stands as part III of the three-volume Historia, delle nuove Indie Occidentali, with parts I and II being translations of Cieza de Leon's Historia, over Cronica del gran regno del Peru and the previously mentioned part I of Gómara's Historia general de las Indias.

The text here is printed in italic type except the capitals, which are roman. The title-page is printed in roman and italic and has the woodcut printer's device.

•  Alden & Landis 564/25; Sabin 27741; Medina, BHA, 159n; Wagner, Spanish Southwest, 2v.   18th-century vellum over paste boards, soiled and a bit rubbed; red leather spine label, with a chip, and an old circular paper shelf-label. Title-page dust-soiled, mounted; small, narrow, oblong portion of blank area of title-page excised and filled in at an early time. Lacks folio 1 and final blank. Top margins closely trimmed, sometimes costing the running heads and folio numbers.  (25767)

The text here is printed in italic type except the capitals, which are roman. Leaves 292–96 containa brief study of Nahuatl and include lists of numbers, months, days, and years in that language.

Binding:  American signed binding by Coombs of Providence, R.I., for John Carter Brown (ca. 1865), with his binder's ticket. Full red morocco, round spine, raised bands; author, title, place and date of publication in gilt on spine; gilt roll on board edges; gilt inner dentelles. All edges gilt. Gilt supra-libros of John Carter Brown on front cover.

Provenance:  Ownership stamp of John Carter Brown on first leaf of preliminaries, supra-libros as above. On his death to his son John Nicholas Brown (1861–1900). On his death deeded to the John Carter Brown Library. Deaccessioned 2008.

•  Alden & Landis 560/28; Sabin 27739; Wagner, Spanish Southwest, 2t; Medina, BHA, 159n. This edition not in H. de León-Portilla, Tepuztlahcuilolli, but see 1692.   Binding as above. Lacks the title-leaf; (therefore) first leaf of preliminaries with a John Carter Brown's personal ownership stamp and his bookplate on front pastedown. Waterstaining, barely visible in many margins and lightly across text in last half. Four leaves with very old scribbling (pen trials?) in margins. A treasure with a distinguished provenance, presenting itself in the classic fashion of a 19th-century “collector's copy.”  (28914)

•  Revised edition, following the first of 1660, of this critical look at the Papal court. “Lunadoro” has been tentatively identified as the pseudonym of biographer and historian Gregorio Leti, aJesuit-educated (but Protestant-converted) author of anti-Catholic and anti-Papal polemics including Il nipotismo di Roma, Il putanismo romano, and the Vita di Donna Olimpia Maidalchini Pamfili. The Catholic Encyclopedia (online) refers to Leti as “mendacious and inexact,” though contemporary readers found this and nearly all of his other works sufficiently interesting to call for numerous editions and translations — all listed in the Index Librorum Prohibitorum.

Francesco Sestini’s Il Moderno Maestro di Camera follows with a separate title-page, dated 1698; the first title-page bears the printer’s crowned salamander device and the second a vignette of Minerva. The collation here matches descriptions of other copies.

Uncommon: Searches of OCLC and RLIN locate only three copies in U.S. libraries.

Provenance: Late 18th-century private collector’s booklabel — “Ex Biblioth. Hamburg. Wolfiana”; also with a 19th-century institutional bookplate.

•  Contemporary vellum, spine with early hand-inked title; binding with small spots of light discoloration, spine title a bit scuffed; all edges speckled blue with two types of paper used “taking” this differently. Front pastedown with bookplates as above; front free endpaper with early inked shelving number. First gathering, including title, a cancel. Title-page reinforced at inner margin. Pages remarkably clean; a very nice copy.

Click the images for enlargements.

•  Gamba 2323; not in Brunet. Contemporary vellum over paste boards, outer edges yapp, spine with hand-inked title; vellum torn and partially lost over lower edge of front cover, with signs of wear and small spots of staining elsewhere. Ex-library, front pastedown with Italian institutional bookplate; yet volume otherwise free of markings. Title-page verso with affixed scrap of paper. Intermittently occurring light dampstaining in upper margins; otherwise clean.

This is a revised version of the 1844 translation with an introduction by Ronald H. Boothroyd, designed by Giovanni Mardersteig using monotype Garamond on Fabriano paper and50 wood-engraved illustrationsnewly engraved for this edition by Bruno Bramanti from originals by Francesco Gonin commissioned by the author in 1840. Just 1500 hundred copies were printed and bound at Officina Bodoni in Verona, of which this is no. 604; it wassigned by the engraver and the printer below the colophon.

Binding: Quarter natural Italian linen over paper boards decorated in an all-over russet-colored leaf and dot pattern, title gilt on gray linen spine label. In original plain paper dust jacket and with publisher's black box.

Provenance:  Though without indicia, from Andrew Hedden’s collection of press books and livres d'artiste.

•  Bibliography of the Fine Books Published by the Limited Editions Club, 217 (“half natural Italian linen”).   Bound as above; jacket lightly sunned and a little chipped at spine, box much abused and, though repaired, showing it. Spine of volume a bit darkened and with an old spot; text very fresh and clean.  (30542)

The edition in hand is printed in roman and italic, with factotum initials and a handful of woodcut tailpieces. The title-page in the first volume is printed in red and black, and black only in the second, with both volumes featuring the printer's device of an armillary sphere: mark of the Elzevirs, who printed the 1678 edition in Amsterdam?

•  On Marino, see: DBI online.   Quarter calf over paper-covered boards, recently rebacked with original spine leather laid down; spine tooled creating compartments accented with gilt center ornaments, author and title gilt on black morocco spine in second one. Scuffed, chipped, and soiled but sturdy; foxed throughout though never more than moderately; edges uncut.  (30910)

Click the images for enlargements.

WorldCat locates only two copies of this edition.

•  Recent marbled paper-covered boards with leather spine label. Without the plates; light age-toning.  (26145)

Also included is a woodcut map showing Europe, the Atlantic, and the New World.

•  Palau 159680; Alden & Landis, European Americana, 609/77; Medina, BHA, 123. Old vellum; red leather, gilt-lettered spine label; some staining, and chipping to edges and label. Old, careful repairs to interior worming occasionally cost individual letters (but never sense) or a little loss to an illustration. Old rubber-stamps and red and black ownership label on title-page; inked notations on title-page and front pastedown. All edges speckled red.

•  Contemporary vellum, spines with gilt-stamped leather title and volume labels and gilt-stamped decorative bands; bindings lightly soiled, with spine labels chipped and rubbed, spines with shelving numbers in white. All page edges stained gold. Front pastedowns with institutional bookplates, title-pages with shadows of pencilled numerals. Vol. III lacking half-title. Intermittent light foxing, most pages clean. (14112)

While Montaigne's literary fame derives chiefly from his numerous and brilliant Essays, this journal is notable as having been created at the same time as those Essays, and his itinerary speaks volumes about his unique style. Observes the editor of his journal, Anne-Gabriel Meusnier de Querlon (1702–80), in the Discours préliminaire, “Montaigne voyageoit comme il écrivoit,” he traveled like he wrote: off the beaten path, without a particular plan, devoting equal space to the meticulous description ofmonuments, wines, and women.

The text is in French with one large section in the second volume composed inItalian, translated by the editor into French on the facing pages. The set is printed in roman and italic with chapter headings in decorative type and a few woodcut headpieces, including two fine vignettes signed by Jean Beugnet (d. 1803) at the beginning of the main text in both volumes. In addition to the generous introduction, M. de Querlon contributed copious footnotes throughout. About a third of the text is in the third person, dictated by the author to a servant who affirmed that in a note at the end of the first volume, before the publisher's advertisement.

•  Tchemerzine, IV, 911; Brunet, III, 1841n; Graesse, IV, 581 (“assez intéressante et surtout d'une grande importance pour l'entendement de l'esprit et du caractère de Montaigne”).   Contemporary full mottled calf single-ruled in blind with gilt board edges, spine gilt extra with five raised bands, title and volume gilt on red and citron spine labels, marbled endpapers and red edges. Patch of leather repaired on rear cover of each volumes, and extremities lightly rubbed; small puncture extending through series of inner upper or lower margins in both volumes, likely from previous sewing. Corner of one leaf torn away in vol. I and scattered small stains in both volumes; in factfresh.  (30914)

This item is rare: No copies were found in OCLC, RLIN, or NUC Pre-1956.

•  Removed from a nonce volume; without wrappers. Uncut. A few very light spots of foxing. In excellent shape.