Italian

London Sold in Livorno: 1778; 1779; 1780 & 1780. 4 volumes, 6 inches tall. 4 uniformly bound volumes of 16th and early 17th century Italian poetry, in the original Italian. Stunning full cat's paw calf with raised bands, gilt pallets and red labels. Speckled pink edges. As was the fashion at the time, the marbled endpapers are just on the paste down and not free, they vary in colour and style and have a wonderful look. Engraved frontispieces and many further full page engravings. Stain to the corner of the fist few leaves of 'Mondo Creato'. A delightful collection.

Padova: Zanon Bettoni, 1811, 1812, 1817. 6 volume set, 8 1/2 inches tall. A beautiful set in full cat's paw calf with gilt raised bands, delicate gilt tooling to the panels and twin labels. The boards are framed within a pair of gilt fillets. Contains the bookplate with the inscription “Philosophemur" (let us philosophise), which belongs to Dr. James Musgrave. He owned many books worthy of note, including the later ownership of Sir Isaac Newton's personal library. Carlo Goldoni was perhaps the greatest Italian playwright and librettist of the 18th century, famed for his wit and comedic style. He wrote in Italian and French making much use of his native Venetian language. In the original Italian.

Firenze: Presso Gius. Molili E Comp. All' insegna di Dante, 1820. Full morocco, 5 1/2 inches tall. A stunning little volume in a richly gilt smooth back bound in the early 19th century. Engraved title page and frontispiece. From the library of Alfred de Rothschild and with his bookplate. A pristine copy of this great 14th century series of short stories, in the original Italian.

Mantova: Co' Tipi Dell'Erede Pazzoni, 1816. 6 volumes, 6.5 inches tall. Full blue morocco by Hering. Superb set with wide floral gilt raised bands, framed panels, dentelles and all edges. Slightly rubbed on the spines.

apoli, Presso Agnello Nobile, 1819. 4 volume set, 7 inches tall. Full vellum with gilt bands and twin labels. Armorial bookplate. Engraved frontispieces. The tiny blue ticket of P. Rolandl, foreign bookseller of Berners St.. Some marking to the boards but overall a fine set. Including examples of the poetry of Dante, Petrach, Tasso up to Metastasio and De'Coletti, selected by the Englishman, Mathias.

Venice: Tommaso Bettinelli, 1803. 3 volumes bound in 2, complete, 6 1/2 inches tall. A charming Italian 'rustic' full velum from the very beginning of the 19th century with gilt framed painted labels and blue speckled edges. Hugh Blair was a Scottish author and rhetorician, considered one of the first great theorists of written discourse. This is an Italian edition teaching his work.

Florence: G. Barbèra, 1887. Full morocco, 4 inches tall. A beautiful little binding by Zaehnsdorf, with their stamp obscured, with gilt raised bands, superb extra gilt panels ans ornate gilt corner tooling to the boards. Gilt top edge and dentelles. From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey. Portrait. Light Foxing. The poetry, letters and Life of the great Renaissance Florentine painter, sculptor and architect, in the original Italian.

Napoli: Gio. Batista, 1818. Full Vellum, 6 1/2 inches tall, A charming Italian 'rustic' full velum from the early 19th century with gilt framed painted labels and blue speckled edges. In Italian.