Opere Scelte de Ferrante Pallavicino, cioe, Il Divortio Celeste... [etc]. In Villafranca [Amsterdam, Elzevier], 1666, 12mo. [588pp]
First Elzevir edition of the collected works of the writer and satirist Ferrante Pallavicino (1615-1644), and generally regarded as the "prettiest". A very rare work, as typically one finds the third edition in abundance, but we could not trace any sales records of this first Elzevier edition.
Ferrante Pallavicino was an Italian writer of numerous antisocial and obscene stories and novels with biblical and profane themes. According to Edward Muir, "[they] were so popular that booksellers and printers bought them from him at a premium." Pallavicino's scandalous satires eventually cost him his life and he was beheaded at the age of 28. The publications during his lifetime were all published either anonymously or under a pseudonym.
His most controversial work was La Retorica delle Puttane, which I will not provide a translation of here, but Muir described this as a "scandalous anti-Jesuit work [which] demonstrates why Pallavicino was the only Italian author of his epoch capable of a coherent vision that integrated satire, skepticism, and naturalistic morality."
[Socoloff IA 432]
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Size: 85 x 142 mm (approx.)
Condition:
Probably original full vellum binding, slightly dulled - more so to the spine, but generally externally excellent. Very smart indeed. Author's name penned to the spine with a stamp at the bottom which we were unable to decipher. Joints without fault. Both boards are securely attached. No shelf lean. Top page edge dulled as typical, others very good. Bookplate to front pastedown reading "Sinclair" with the motto "Fide Sed Pugna", also with some early ink writing. With several title pages throughout for each section, all with the same date of 1666. Text block very clean indeed without foxing, staining, tears, stains, wormholing, etc. Binding a little tight as typical for similar bindings.
A really excellent example of this very rare first Elzevier edition of Pallavicino's works.
