The Works of the famous Nicolas Machiavel, Citizen and Secretary of Florence

Machiavel, Nicolas (Nicollo Machiavelli)

Edité par R. Clavel, C. Harper, J. Amery, J Robinson, A. and J. Churchil, London, 1695

3rd edition, 2nd issue, with 1695 cancel title page.
131 in Wing's Short Title Catalogue - Vol II (1641 -1700)

Collated and complete with erratic pagination; a common feature of 17th century editions of this title.

Fine 19th century binding, polished calf with blind tooling to boards, 5 raised bands to spine. Gilt titles in maroon compartment, minor scuffing and edgewear to boards. Recent bookplate to front pastedown. New prelim and terminal blanks, new endpapers - a touch of browning to the edges of these.

A very good copy indeed, with minor faults, most notable being the title page, which is a little soiled and browned. Minor (half line) pencil underlining to Letter. Minor pencil marginalia to pp4, a few minor chips to corners and fore-edges, not encroaching into the text, except slightly to a single leaf, where a 1.5cm part of the top rule - above the page number - is missing. A handful of closed tears to margins and small (<3mm) holes to a few leaves. Halfmoon tidemark to top margin, not encroaching into the text, at pp515 to pp518, corner margins chipped from pp523-228. Minor faults are noted, but this is an attractive, most desirable copy. The binding is tight and square, the leaves a little toned, but otherwise handsome and clean.

Contains: The History of Florence, The Prince, The Original of the Guelf and Ghibilin Factions, Life of Castruccio Castracani, The Murther of Vitelli, &c. By Duke Valentino, The State of France, the State of Germany, The Discourses on Titus Livius, The Art of War, The Marriage of Belphegor, a Novel, Nicolas Machiavel's Letter in Vindication of Himself and his Writings

There is often contradicting information regarding 17th century editions of the Works. Wing lists 4 'editions' up to 1700, however, the first English edition was published in 1674 and a second edition with the type reset, published in 1680. A third edition appeared in 1694. This is the second issue of the third edition, with a 1695 cancel title page.

In this edition, Nicolas Machiavel's Letter in Vindication of Himself and his Writings includes a section on rebellion, suppressed in the first two editions, sometimes included in manuscript to trusted sympathisers, who were critical of the government, clergy and monarchy. In earlier copies it is bound in at the end, in this 1695 issue it is inserted at the front, after the indexes (Table) and the Publisher's Preface to the Letter.

Probably as consequence of the letter's attribution (since the 17th century) to the former Rump MP Henry Neville, he is also commonly given as the translator of the entire work. Knights (2006) however argues convincingly that the true translator was likely one John Bulteel.

Examination of digital copies of the 1674 and 1680 editions shows that this is the first edition of the Works in which the Letter appears in full, i.e. with the suppressed section printed.
It was, however, separately published in full a few years earlier in 1691.

Tantalisingly, a palimpsest of its suppression remains - the catchwords at the foot of the 4th page - which should indicate the first words of the next - being printed from the same sheets as the previous edition - read "I am". This corresponds with the start of the page following the suppressed page "I am charged, then in the second place, with impiety." - the suppressed page, however starts: "Now having gone thus far in the Description of Rebellion."

The printed inclusion of the suppressed section in the present edition is probably due to its publication in 1695, after The Glorious Revolution of 1688 established the supremacy of Parliament in political affairs and cast rebellion into new light.

- Knight, Mark (2006) John Starkey and Ideological Networks in Late Seventeenth-Century England in Raymond, J. (ed) News Networks in Seventeenth-Century Britain and Europe. Routledge. London. N° de réf. du vendeur ABE-1767866362950

Détails bibliographiques

Titre : The Works of the famous Nicolas Machiavel, ...
Éditeur : R. Clavel, C. Harper, J. Amery, J Robinson, A. and J. Churchil, London
Date d'édition : 1695
Reliure : Couverture rigide
Etat : Assez bon
Edition : 3ème Édition