Machiavel nicolas

1674 · 149757 — London: Charles Harper and John Amery 1674. Rare second English edition of Machiavelli s Florentine History the first edition to appear after Thomas Bedingfield s translation in 1595 of this political and historical account of Florence. Sextodecimo bound in full leather morocco spine label gilt titles to the spine in five compartments within raised bands gilt ruling to the panels all edges marbled marbled endpapers frontispiece. In very good condition. Florentine Histories is a historical account by Italian Renaissance political philosopher and writer Niccolò Machiavelli. After the crisis of 1513 with arrests for conspiracy torture and after being sentenced to house arrest Machiavelli's relationship with the Medici family passively began to mend itself. If the dedication of Il Principe 1513 to Lorenzo II de' Medici had not any effect part of the then dominant faction of the Florence was not against him and instead granted him an appointment. In his letter he deplores of his idle state offering his precious political experience to the new lord. To sustain that timid request Machiavelli with a considerably courtier-like spirit set his Mandragola for the wedding of Lorenzino de' Medici. In 1520 he was invited to Lucca for a mission of a semiprivate character indicating that the ostracism was to be raised up. At the end of that year Giulio Cardinal de Medici commissioned him to write a History of Florence. Although this was not exactly the charge he desired Machiavelli accepted it as the only possible way to come back into the graces of the Medici. The intent of the work although semi-officially was to recover the city's charge of historic officiality. The wage for the appointment was not large 57 florins per year later increased to 100. The finished work was presented officially to Giulio de' Medici now Pope Clement VII in the May 1526. The Pope liked the work and rewarded him albeit moderately and asked him support in the creation of a national army on the wake of his theorical work The Art of War in the preparations for the War of the League of Cognac. However after the Sack of Rome 1527 and the fall of the Medici government in Florence Machiavelli's hopes were dashed. Machiavelli would die soon afterwards. Charles Harper and John Amery hardcover