DISCORSO Sopra la Castrametatione & Bagni Antichi de i Greci & Romani. Et nuouamente revisto & ricorretto dall'istesso Auttore. Con l'aggiunta della figura del Campo Romano.
[Speech of St. William Choul, gentleman of Lyons, counsellor of the king and bailiff of the Mountains of Dauphine, on castrametation and ancient baths of the Greek and Romans. Again revised and corrected by the same author. With the addition of the figure of the Roman camp. Text in Italian]. Pp. [160](numbered to 80 on rectos only, with some mispagination)+[6](index, last blank), italic, with 43 full page engraved illustrations and a large folding plate in two parts (as issued) at end, title page decoration and printer's anchor device, 2 ten-line decorative initials; f'cap. 8vo; vellum, the spine with early manuscript titling and 2 thongs, the boards faintly soiled and slightly sprung; all edges sprinkled red; book label of David Levine, Sydney, on upper pastedown, a couple of neat paper reinforcements to folds on reverse of the first part of the folding plate, long inked inscription in an early hand (in Italian) on the lower pastedown, a couple of spots of foxing and occasional slight soiling, Innocente Olmo, [Padua], 1558. USTC 827776; see Cockle 702 (Lyon edition, 1557). *Early [first octavo?] Italian edition, translated from the original French by Gabriel Simeoni. Guillaume du Choul (c. 1496-1560) was a French antiquarian based in Lyon, renowned for his collections of ancient coins, prints, shells and books. His writings cover three aspects of ancient civilization: Roman religion, thermal baths, and the art of building military camps, or castrametation. The illustrations, of ancient Greeks and Romans in military dress, on foot or horseback and at the baths, are by the French artist and engraver Pierre Eskrich (c. 1518-1590). The folding plate shows the Roman army disposition on the battlefield (castrametation). The attribution to Padua as the place of printing is from the Dedication. Item #173560
Price: $2,500.00