Discorsi Di Nicolo Machiavelli Pra La Prima Deca Di Tito Livio [bound with] Il Prencipe di Nicolo Machiavelli. [Machiavelli’s Discourses bound with The Prince].

Palermo: Apresso gli heredi d'Antoniello degli Antonielli, 1584 [London: John Wolfe]. Rare 16th century printing of John Wolfe's famed fictitious Italian editions of Machiavelli's fundamental works of political history and philosophy. Octavo, elaborately bound in full crushed morocco with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, double gilt ruling and central motifs to the front and rear panels, gilt turn-ins. In near fine condition with occasional contemporary marginal notes. Rare. The Prince" was first published by Anthony Blado in 1532 and was placed on the Index librorum prohibitorum in 1559. This edition, with its false imprint, was produced by English bookseller and printer John Wolfe, an ardent defender of printing privileges in Elizabethan England. Wolfe made a considerable contribution to the reception of Machiavelli during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I by making the texts available to both scholars and statesmen. His disdain the printing patent system drew the ire of his competitors and authorities in his early career. After being jailed twice and having his printing materials seized, Wolfe transformed himself into an ardent defender of printing privileges and by 1593, he was appointed Printer to the City of London (PMM 63).