Cresci, Il perfetto scrittore, Rome, [1570], modern vellum

Cresci, Giovanni Francesco. Il perfetto scrittore di M. Gio. Francesco Cresci cittadino melanese. Dove si veggono i veri caratteri, & le natural forme di tutte quelle sorti di lettere, che à vero scrittor si appartengono. Con alcun'altre da lui nuovamente ritrovate. Et i modi, che deve tenere il mastro per ben insegnare (Parte seconda). (Rome: the author and Francesco Aureri), [1570]

First edition of Cresci's second manual of calligraphy. The first part contains examples of chancery hands, designed by Cresci himself and cut in wood by Francesco Aureri of Crema, along with Cresci's instructions on their appropriate usage. The set of engraved capital letters at the beginning of the second part were produced by Andrea Marelli, as were the borders that accompany each letter. The next two sets of letters were made from the same woodcut blocks, one more heavily inked than the other.

Cresci's printing has been dated to between the end of 1570, the dates of the dedications, and the spring of 1571, when the papal privilege was provided. 

Cresci provided a discorso delle maiuscole cancelleresche a groppi to accompany Marelli's engravings, which is included in copies of the first edition which lack the engraved alphabet, most likely as it was not ready in time for publication. 

The second edition of Il perfetto scrittore printed ca 1575 lacks Marelli's engravings, as Cresci had probably sold the plates once he had left Rome. Shortly after the publication of the first edition, the borders by Marelli, without their accompanying letters, appeared in a Hebrew Esther scroll. Twenty-two of the original engravings were also later used in a 1613 calligraphy manual by Sempronio Lancione, Idea universale delle cancelleresche corsive et bastarde.

2 parts in one volume, oblong 4to (190 x 256 mm). i) collation: π¹ *⁴ **⁴ A-H⁴ I¹ K-M⁴: 54 leaves (**4 blank). Engraved title with letterpress text (containing a portrait of Cresci), woodcut initials, woodcut plates of calligraphic examples, each surrounded by one of four woodcut borders. ii) Title-page, 36 leaves (3 sets of alphabets, the plates pasted together to form double-sided leaves). Letterpress title within engraved border, the first set of initials engraved, the second set of initials white-on-black woodcuts with metalcut borders, the third set white-on-black woodcuts without borders. (Occasional soiling, a few edges slightly trimmed, a few small marginal repairs.)

binding: Twentieth-century vellum (195 x 265 mm), double gilt fillet border, flat spine gilt.

provenance: Old inscription at end of first alphabet in second part. acquisition: Purchased in 2019 from Meda Riquier Rare Books, London. references: Bonacini 426 & 427; Edit16 14226; Eva Frojmovic, "The Perfect Scribe and an early engraved Esther scroll", British Library Journal 23 (1997), 68-80, with details of the printing of this work