ATANAGI, Dionigi. Ragionamento...de la excellentia, et perfettion de la historia, Venice, appresso Domenico, & Cornelio de'Nicolini [da Sabbio], 1559
4to. 16ff. (including the final blank). Woodcut device on title-page, small hole in title-page with no loss, in twentieth century wrappers.
First separate edition of Atanagi's essay on history, which was first published in Ruscelli's edition of Giovio's Historie, and is now reprinted owing to the enormous number of mistakes in the earlier version. Atanagi (c.1504-1573) was born in Cagli in the dukedom of Urbino and spent twenty-five years of his early life in wretched circumstances in Rome. Later he became secretary to the governor of Ancona where he made friends with Bernardo Tasso and lived for many years, until his death, in Venice where he worked as a corrector in several printing houses. This little essay, dedicated to Hieronimo Superchio, tries to define history, as opposed to annals, and to examine what rules are necessary to perfect the writing of it.
Censimento A3285; not in Adams; NUC locates only the copy at Yale
£350
This item is listed on Bibliopoly by Hesketh and Ward Ltd.; click here for further details.