Martorell, Tirante, Venice, Torresano, 1538, English red morocco by Charles Lewis, from the libraries of Utterson and Sir Thomas Phillipps

Martorell, Joanot. Tirante il Bianco valorosissimo caualiere … Di lingua spagnola nello idioma nostro per messer Lelio di Manfredi tradotto. Venice: Pietro Nicolini da Sabbio for Federico Torresano, 1538

First edition in Italian, praised by the priest in Don Quixote as "the best book of its kind in the world."

4to (204 x 144 mm). Roman type, 50 lines plus headline. collation: +⁴ A-Z⁸ AA-MM⁸ NN⁴: 288 leaves, foliated. Title within woodcut border, woodcut initials text printed in single and double columns. (Early inscription washed from title, restoration to first few corners, scattered foxing.)

binding: English red morocco (210 x 154 mm), bound by Charles Lewis (1786-1836, shop continued by widow until 1854), triple gilt fillet around sides, spine with semi-raised bands in six compartments, second gilt-lettered, gilt edges, tan endleaves. (Scratched, spine sunned.)

provenance: Edward Vernon Utterson (1776?-1856), ex libris; initials "E.V.V."; his sale, Sotheby's London, 19-27 April 1852, lot 1899 — Thomas & William Boone, London, purchased in previous sale — Sir Thomas Phillipps (1792-1872), his sale, Sotheby's London, 25-26 November 1946, lot 316 — Heinrich Eisemann, London, purchased in previous sale. acquisition: Purchased from Paul Grinke, London, 1974. references: Renouard 117/5; Edit16 32748; USTC 841246