Opus Merlini Cocaii poetae Mantuani Macaronicorum...
Venetiis: Apud Haratium de Gobbis, 1581. 12o: A-Z12 [$6 signed] Misprinting in signature leaf Q6 printed as Q9, leaf X3 missigned as H3. 541pp. 3 ½ x 5 ½ in. In contemporary semi-limp parchment binding, ink decoration to cover and spine. Ill. with 26 woodcuts in the text. Very good. Parchment warped and shrunk. Many instances of stubs and possible cancellations throughout. Tailband broken but sewn binding still intact. Red “GLP” ownership mark to title page, some light staining throughout, sheets largely clean. Item #6346
First published in 1521, this work is a prominent example of the literary genre of Macaronic verse, a satirical mixture of bilingual puns and situations in which various languages, in this case Latin and Italian, are used in the same context, with usage of hybrid words and jumbled jargon of Latin and vernacular Italian in a pastiche. Macaronic verse was a popular literary fad throughout the 16th and 17th centuries in Italy and beyond.
Folengo was one of the principal Italian macaronic poets of his time, his most well-known work in the genre being Baldo, published in 1516. Editions of Folengo printed by de Gobbis are rare.
Price: $1,750.00