CITOLINI, Alessandro; ZÚCCOLO, Gregorio La tipocosmia; I discorsi…ne i quali si tratta della nobiltà, honore, amore, fortificationi, et antigaglie Venice Vincenzo Valgrisi; Gio. Bariletto 1575
8vo. 2 works in one vol. 280 + 160ff. Woodcut devices on title-pages, 3 woodcut diagrams in the second work, a little worming in the second work with slight loss of text, a few leaves lightly discoloured, in late sixteenth limp vellum, EDGES VERY FINELY GILT AND GAUFFERED.
FIRST EDITIONS. The first work is divided into seven days and contains a description of everything in the world and every human activity from hunting to hairdressing arranged in such an extraordinary fashion as to render the whole work a complete hodge-podge. In spite of the chaotic nature of the book Fontanini and Zeno were able to detect heresy contained within it and perhaps Citolini’s life bears this out. Born in Seravalle (now Vittorio Veneto) in about 1500 his first venture into print was his Lettera…in difesa de la lingua volgare, printed by Marcolini in 1540 for which he received great praise from his friend Claudio Tolomei, Betussi and Ruscelli. But at some point, probably shortly after the publication of this book, he embraced protestantism and fled to Strassburg and thence, we learn from the letters of Roger Ascham, to England where he was warmly recommended to Elizabeth I by the reformer Johann Sturm. He died in England in about 1565. The second work is a scarce collection of discourses of which the last two, on fortification and antiquities, are not without interest.i. Censimento CNCE 12614; Adams C2047; Gamba 1324; Fontanini/Zeno I, p.38. ii. Censimento CNCE 30783; not in Adams.
£2200
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