De arte rhetorica. Libri tres. Basel, Johann Herwagen, Hieronymous Froben, August, 1529. (With:) CARO (Annibale). Rettorica d'Aristotile fatta in lingua toscana. Venice, al segno della Salamandra,

 Woodcut printers devices on first and final leaves of each volume. Large and small historiated woodcut initials throughout, some white-on-black. Greek and italic type. 

2 parts in 1 vol. 4to (205 x 150mm). 156, [4]pp. (a4 tipped in); [8], (last leaf blank), 270, [2]pp. Calf, spine gilt in compartments with labels in second and fourth with gilt-lettered titles (tears and scuffs to covers with small piece missing from lower cover, wear to headcaps and extremities, joints weak, spine cracked and labels chipped). 

 

 

Bound volume of two first editions, published almost fifty years apart, of Aristotle's treatise on rhetoric in Greek, and the translation into vernacular Italian by Annibale Caro. This was the first separate printing of Aristotle's De Rhetorica (previously published only as part of collected works).  Poet, playwright, churchman and courtier Annibale Caro's Rettorica was one of the first of several translations of classical works he undertook; this first edition was published after his death in 1566. In the dedication to Ferdinando I de' Medici, Annibale's nephew Giovanni Battista Caro writes of the importance of rhetorical skill in the business of a statesman, and the necessity of translating this work into the vernacular for the use of individuals like Ferdinando.

Annotation in two different hands throughout Part I: ownership inscription at foot of title page, underlining and occasional marginal annotation in first hand in heavy brown ink; numbering and occasional marginal annotation in Latin in second hand, also responsible for name inscribed at foot of p.156. Marginal annotation of first leaf of Part II in Italian. Listed in Maggs Catalogue 970, 'Ancient, Medieval and Modern'; catalogue description pasted to verso of front free endpaper. 

Part I: Staining throughout. Worming to blank margin at head of pp.99-150, with repairs pp.103-110, waterstaining to outer blank margin of pp.129-36, and hole to final blank leaf. Part II: minor foxing throughout, staining to gutters of pp.247-70, repair to outer blank margin of p.267. 

Part I: Adams A1939. VD16 A3341. Schweiger, 55. Hoffman, 280.

Part II: Adams A1953. BMSTC (Italian) supplement, 16. ICCU 3478. 

Stock Code: 228261