Doni, I mondi, Venice, 1552, contemporary limp vellum, Colbert-Vershbow copy

Doni, Anton Francesco. I mondi del Doni. Libro primo. Venice: Francesco Marcolini, (April) 1552

Doni's dialogues on seven worlds were produced for his Accademia dei Pellegrini, an academy based in Venice but with members throughout the peninsular (though it is only referred to in books by Doni and may not have actually existed). Francesco Marcolini, the printer, was one member, as were Enea Vico, Lodovico Dolce and Titian.

Doni's worlds are the small world (a microcosm), the large world (the actual world), the imagined world, the mixed world, the risible world, the world of the wise and mad (a utopia), and the great world (of God). In the section on the human world, he mentions the invention of printing by "Giovanni da Magontia", and likens the products of the press as the many-headed Hydra (G3).

The portraits include Machiavelli and Pietro Aretino, along with Gabriele Simeoni, Domenico Burchiello, Francesco Alunno and Niccolò Tartaglia. This copy has leaf F4v in the later (corrected) state.

The second part was published by Marcolini in 1553 with the title Inferni.

4to (212 x 150 mm). Italic type in two sizes, 29 lines plus headline. collation: a⁴ A-Z AA-HH⁴: 128 leaves. Large woodcut device on title-page, a4v within woodcut frame, different woodcut devices on section titles, woodcut initials and headpieces, woodcut illustrations and portraits, (K1 and M1 slightly soiled, other occasional damp-staining at lower corner.)

binding: Contemporary limp vellum (216 x 155 mm), early manuscript lettering on upper cover, stubs from two pairs of ties. (Binding slightly soiled.)

provenance: Early inscriptions on upper cover, including the name Boyet and the date 29 August(?) 1570 — Bibliothecae Colbertinae, inscription at head of title-page, i.e. Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619-1683), sale, Paris, 1728, part 2, lot 11695 (lot 11696 was the second part of Doni's work) — Lady Charlotte Maria Bury (1775-1861, daughter of the Duke of Argyll and novelist who travelled on the Continent), inscription at foot of second title-page — Thomas Thorpe, sold in 1962 to — Arthur and Charlotte Vershbow, sale, Christie's, New York, 10 April 2013, lot 162, $5,000. acquisition: Purchased at the preceding sale. references: Edit16 17693 (both parts); Mortimer, Harvard Italian 166 (both parts)