Discourses upon Livy
Lot 84

Discourses upon Livy

Niccolò Machiavelli, 1636

Closed14 September 2021

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USD 3,500

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Discourses upon Livy
Niccolò Machiavelli, 1636
MACHIAVELLI, Niccolò (1469-1527). Discourses, upon the first Decade of T. Livius. Translated by Edward Dacres. London: Printed by Thomas Paine for William Hills and Daniel Pakeman, 1636.

First edition in English of Machiavelli's political commentary on Livy's history of Rome. "Machiavelli founded the science of modern politics on the study of mankind—it should be remembered that a parallel work to The Prince was his historical essay on the first ten books of Livy" (PMM). A humanist project aiming at discerning political virture through studying antiquity, the Discourses were only published posthumously. This is the issue with "animadversions" in italics on the title; cancelled leaf B1 is not present. STC 17160. See PMM 63.

12mo (141 x 79 mm). Woodcut rules (margin of Dd1 trimmed away, a few spots and stains, small closed tear affecting rule, edges of title toned). Contemporary ruled calf, edges red (rebacked, corners showing, tightly bound).