Dublin: W. Colles, 1769. Scarce Dublin edition. Giuseppe Marc'Antonio Baretti ( 1719 - 1789) was an Italian literary critic, poet, writer, translator, linguist and author of two influential language-translation dictionaries. During his years in England he was often known as Joseph Baretti. Baretti's life was marked by controversies, to the point that he had to leave Italy, for England, where he remained for the rest of his life. Baretti wrote this book after being outraged by an account written by a Samuel Sharp about the customs and manners of Italy, which he considered ignorant, carelss, and prejudiced. Baretti discusses the flaws of Mr. Sharp's book throughout his own, sometimes to the point of lapsing into the humorous rather than serous. Bound in three quarter red leather with black title label to spine. Marbled boards Rubbing and bumping to leather and slight tears along board edges. Foxing to title page and last couple of pages with publisher's list of new books, and occasional light spots. Still very good condition.Measures 3.5 x 6.5 inches. 225 pages plus publisher book list. More

London: Charles Harper and John Amery, 1674. Hardcover. Scarce copy of this early English translation of Machiavelli's history of Florence. The history is told in a series of eight books The first of the eight books is a general picture of the history of Europe from the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the beginning of the 15th century; the second book actually begins to discuss the history of Florence, with the narration of the feud between Buondelmenti/Donati and Uberti/Amidei, that according to tradition corroborated by Dante would unchain the conflict between Guelphs and Ghibellines in the city. The books II, III, and IV narrate the history before the Medici rise, while the last four speak of the fight for power that ended with the Medicean lordship. The eighth book closes with the death of Lorenzo il Magnifico, in 1492, with the end of the fragile peace that Lorenzo's politics of balance had carried. The first edition was printed in the year 1532, five years after Machiavelli died [Wikipedia]. Machiavelli's Florentine Histories originated under Medici patronage at a moment in which, after the death of Lorenzo the younger in May 1519, Cardinal Giulio de' Medici controlled Florence (on behalf of Pope Leo X) and the regime seemed open to the possibility of major constitutional overhaul.One result of a more positive attitude of the Medici toward Machiavelli was the commission, finalized on November 8, 1520, and approved by the Officials of Florence's university (the Studio), headed by Giulio himself, to “compose the annals and chronicles of Florence [ad componendum annalia et cronacas florentinas].” The Florentine Histories thus owe their existence to these external circumstances, but the conceptualization and design of this last of Machiavelli's great works reflect long-standing interests integral to the development of both his political theory and the pragmatic requirements of his persistent critique of Florentine politics. [from Cambridge Guide to Machiavelli]. Bound in later three quarter brown leather with marbled paper boards. Red leather title label and gilt date to spine. Leather is chipped and bumped and light stains to marbled boards. Interior pages are also very good. Upper margins were trimmed to fit binding. A previous owner has written occasional unobtrusive words or dates in the margins that repeat those found in the text. Book I: 73 pages; Book II: 94 pages; Book III: 76 pages; Book IV: 70 pages; Book V: 82 pages; Book VI: 76 pages; Book VII: 74 pages; Book VIII: 81 pages; Contents pages: unpaginated [13 pages]. Measures 4 x 6.5 inches. A very nice copy. ITAL/032421. Very Good. More