CAVALCANTI, BARTOLOMEO. - AN AMAZINGLY SUCCESSFUL RETORICA.

La Retorica. Divisa in sette libri: dove si contiene tutto qvello, che appartiene all'arte Oratoria. Con le Postille di M. Pio Portinaio Giureconsulti, che dimostrano sommariamente tutte quello, che ui si tratta.

Pesaro, Bartolomeo Cesano, 1559. 4to. Bound in a bit later full vellum with titlelabel in brown leather on spine with gilt lettering. (12),563 pp. Printers woodcut device on titlepage. With 7 large woodcut initials. The first 5 leaves with a few contemporary notes and underlinings. A fine clean copy.

There were printed 2 editions the same year, one in Pesaro (the item offered) and one in Venice.

Cavalcanti (1503-62) was a Florentine scholar-diplomat who served the Republic (1527-30), went into exile (1537), and spent his remaining years working for the Este and Farnese families. He died in poverty in Padua . His works reflect his interest in politics and scholarship: an oration to the Florentine militia (1530), political memoranda, diplomatic letters, translations from Polybius, essays on classical political thought (1571), and an amazingly successful Retorica (ten editions from 1559 to1585). The last, a comprehensive compendium of classical rhetoric written in Italian with Italian examples, maintains that the function of rhetoric is civic and practical rather than literary.

Adams C 1176.

Order-nr.: 45366