A VERY RARE EDITION OF THIS COLLECTION OF EROTIC POETRY AND NOVELS BY PIETRO ARETINO AND GIOVANNI BATTISTA MARINO

NO COPY IN USA

Aretino, Pietro - Marino, Giovanni Battista. Il Libro del perchè, la Pastorella del Marino, la Novella dell'Angelo Gabriello e la Puttana errante di Pietro Aretino. A Pe-king: regnante Kien-long, nel XVIII secolo (but: London, Molini, 1784)

12mo (170x98 mm), contemporary full leather binding with gilt title on a red leather label at spine, marbled paper at paste-downs and free end leaves; pp. [4], 140.
Xyl. vignette at title-page and xyl. head-pieces at the beginning of each novel.

Nice edition falsely declared as printed in China: indeed, the volume was printed in London on behalf of G.C. Molini in 1784 in 200 copies.
Famous collection of libertine writings with classical echoes and amazing inventions.

Aretino, Pietro (1492-1556) was an Italian author, playwright, poet, satirist and blackmailer who wielded immense influence on contemporary art and politics and invented modern literate pornography.

Marino, Giovanni Battista (1569-1625) was an Italian poet who was born in Naples. He is most famous for his long epic L'Adone. The Cambridge History of Italian Literature thought him to be "one of the greatest Italian poets of all time". He is considered the founder of the school of Marinism, later called Secentismo, characterised by its use of extravagant and excessive conceits.

References: IT\ICCU\CFIE\050641 (one copy at the Biblioteca nazionale centrale – Firenze). Parenti, Diz. falsi luoghi, p. 167. Graesse, V, 197. Brunet, IV, 488. OCLC registers a copy of this work bound with other novels of the same author, 562542303 (one copy in UK and one copy in Switzerland).

Traces of use to the binding (a bit rubbed; wear at end-spines; joints starting to split). Occasional soiling, fore-edge stained.
Overall, a good copy.