Rerum Venetarum Historiae. Libri Xii. Bembo, Pietro.

FIRST PARIS PRINTING 1551 of the Aldine edition printed in the same year, Latin text, approximately 235 x 150 mm, 9¼ x 6 inches, large folding table dated 1539, LACKING A SECOND FOLDING TABLE, woodcut headpieces and initials, leaves: [20], 1-311, [1]; numbered on rectos only, making over 600 pages, collation: [fleuron]6 ([fleuron]6 blank), A-B4, C6 (C6 blank), A- C8, D-Z8, Aa-Qq8 (Qq8 blank), bound in full early calf, decorative gilt border to both covers, gilt raised bands, richly gilt in compartments, gilt lettered brown morocco label, all edges red. 1 or 2 minor marks to covers, armorial bookplate of William Constable, F.R.S., F.A.S., (1721-91), an 18th century naturalist and scientist, a few small brown smudges to title page, neat old ink signature at top, another larger in the middle, a few tiny pale ink splashes to margin of page 188, small piece torn off lower corner of Ccv and Mm7, no loss of text, many early small neat scholarly Latin marginalia in old ink, a few neat underlinings, small pale stain to a few margins, early mss notes on final blank. A very good clean copy in a handsome early binding. The folding table in our copy contains an Epitome of the History of the Republic, a 5 line text by Joannes Boschaeus (Jean Du Bosc), and a complete list of the Doges up to 1539. At the foot is printed "Parisiis, Ex officina Michaelis Vascosani, 1539". Adams, European Books 1501-1600, Volume I, B598; Brunet, Volume I, 767. MORE IMAGES ATTACHED TO THIS LISTING, ALL ZOOMABLE, FURTHER IMAGES ON REQUEST. POSTAGE AT COST.