Gentillet, Innocent

Estimate

2,500 - 3,500 USD

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Description

A Discourse upon the Meanes of Wel Gorverning and Maintaining in Good Peace, a Kingdome, or other Principalities. Divided into three parts, namely, The Counsell, teh Religion, and the Policie, which a Prince ought to hlod and follow. Against Nicholas Machiavell the Florentine. Translated into English by Simon Paterick. London: Adam Islip, 1602
Paper, Ink, Leather

Folio (11 1/4 x 7 1/2 in.; 284 x 190 mm). Woodcut initials, head- and tailpieces, text in printed frame; clean and large copy, contemporary manuscript note on title, some foxing on a few pages and some leaves slightly browned. Contemporary vellum; ancient repair on the top of each panel and the spine. Half-morocco box by Sangorski & Sutcliffs.

Literature

STC 117413

Catalogue Note

First edition in English of the famous "Anti-Machiavelli" book, first published in Latin in Geneva in 1576.

The "Anti-Machiavelli"is an attack against the ideas of Nicolas Machiavelli and more precisely, a pamphlet against the Italians of the entourage of Catherine de Medici. The book has considerable diffusion throughout Europe until the mid-seventeenth century. Gentillet argues that the source of wealth of a state is its large population. He believes that the infighting and bad laws are contrary to the development of population and condemned luxury as detrimental to national welfare.
Anti-Machiavelli helped to establish lasting misunderstandings about the work of Machiavelli, he is the first rebuttal. He also announced political science as defined by Jean Bodin.