Aristotelis Poetica, per Alexandrum Paccium, Patritium Florentinum, in latinum conversa.
Venetiis (Venice): Aldus (In aedibus haeredum Aldi, et Andreae Asulani soceri), 1536. First Edition. Hardcover. Item #32482
iiii, [i], 6-28 numbered leaves + 26 numbered leaves, [1], [2] unnumbered leaves including index, errata, colophon, and printer's device. Aldus engraved printer's device to title page and and verso of last leaf. Later full calf tooled in gold on the sides, spine with gilt decorations and red morocco label lettered in gold, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers, gilt inner dentelles. This exceedingly scarce title is extremely important in the history of humanist literature and marks Aristotle's influence on literature from the time of the Renaissance through the period of Romanticism. The rediscovery of the Greek philosopher's Poetics in the early 1500s had a profound impact on literary theory, especially in poetry. The volume includes the Greek text plus Alessandro Pazzi's influential Latin translation and two fascinating prefatory letters. With the neat bookplate of noted translator and folklore aficionado Charles James Billson on the front pastedown endpaper. Internally extremely clean except for a small stain on the front free endpaper and to the top edge of the first few leaves. There are some old very faint annotations to the margins on some of the leaves. An extremely charming copy. Graesse I.213. "Ce petite volume est fort rare." Renouard, Annales de l'imprimerie des Alde, p. 275. ; Small octavo.
Price: $15,000.00