The Works of the Famous Nicolas Machiavel

Starting price
$ 6 500
Auction dateClassic
19.10.2023 10:00UTC -04:00
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CHRISTIE'S
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USA, New York
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ID 1032893
Lot 239 | The Works of the Famous Nicolas Machiavel
MACHIAVELLI, Niccolo (1469-1527). The Works of the Famous Nicolas Machiavel, Citizen and Secretary of Florence. Translated by Henry Neville. London: printed for J.[ohn] S.[tarkey] … to be sold by Robert Boulter at the Turks-head in Cornhil, against the Royal Exchange, 1675.

First collected edition in English of the works of Machiavelli, the Renaissance political mastermind. This edition includes his Discourses on Livy, The History of Florence, The Art of War, and of course his most famous work, The Prince. The first edition of The Prince in English had appeared in 1640, when the country was on the precipice of what historian J.A. Pocock called England's "Machiavellian moment"—the English Civil War. This collection of Machiavelli's works is a set of new translations by Henry Neville, a member of the Council of State who nevertheless ran afoul of Oliver Cromwell and ended up spending time in Italy. Upon the Restoration, he was arrested for treason and held in the Tower, but released without punishment in 1664. His translation includes a curious "Letter" purporting to be by Machiavelli to his friend Zanobius Buondelmontius and defending his writings. This letter is a literary forgery—but a playful one; the date is given as 1 April 1537, ten years after Machiavelli's death, and its content concerned with very contemporary attacks on the priesthood. Bertelli & Innocenti s.XVII, 70a; Wing M-128. See PMM

Folio (321 x 128mm). Title page in double rule, section titles, 5pp. ads at end (light dampmarking at upper edge, final leaf with repaired tear affecting about 16 lines of type). Contemporary mottled calf (flyleaves renewed, joints cracked, and upper board nearly detached). Provenance: William Morgan, "Rector in Presteigne, Radnorshere," signatures on title and final page, one text correction) – John Bather, vicar of Meole Brace (signature on title; by descent to son:) – Edward Bather, 1779-1847, archdeacon of Salop (signature on pastedown and armorial bookplate ) – John Harker (armorial bookplate, with note of purchase at Shrewsbury book stall on 28 August 1866).
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