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Giovanni Boccaccio, 1620
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The Decameron in English
Giovanni Boccaccio, 1620
BOCCACCIO, Giovanni (1313-1375). The Decameron containing An hundred pleasant Novels. Wittily discoursed, betweene seaven honourable Ladies, and three Noble Gentlemen. London: Isaac Jaggard, 1620.
First edition in English, published by Jaggard three years prior to his printing of the Shakespeare First Folio. Shakespeare utilized Boccaccio's tales in several of his plays, possibly through French editions or at second hand. He may have encountered selections in William Painter's The Palace of Pleasure, 1566-67, which contained the first English translations of the stories found in Boccaccio, Bandello and other Italian novelists, for it is known that Shakespeare used Painter as the foundation for All's Well that Ends Well and also drew from it for other plays. This complete translation of The Decameron has been attributed by Douglas Bush to John Florio (Bush, English Literature in the Earlier Sixteenth Century). Florio's Italian-English dictionary appeared in 1598 and his monumental translation of Montaigne proved a strong influence on Shakespeare's later works. Grolier Wither to Prior 250 (incorrectly calling for 3 leaves in II:P); Pforzheimer 71; ESTC S106639.
Two volumes, folio (273 x 173mm). Errata leaf at end of volume I, B1 is a cancellans. Woodcut titles each with 6 vignettes, 98 woodcut vignettes in text chiefly repeating the title vignettes, woodcut initials, head- and tail-pieces (inner margin extended on A2, tear crossing text repaired on Bb3, paper flaws or other small holes occasionally touching letters, a few minor marginal repairs; vol 2 title-border shaved along fore-margin, quire B short). Modern burgundy morocco gilt, edges gilt, by Riviere (joints repaired). Provenance: Arthur A. Houghton (morocco booklabel; his sale, Christie's, 13 June 1979) – Abel Berland (his sale, Christie's New York, 8 October 2001, lot 8).
Giovanni Boccaccio, 1620
BOCCACCIO, Giovanni (1313-1375). The Decameron containing An hundred pleasant Novels. Wittily discoursed, betweene seaven honourable Ladies, and three Noble Gentlemen. London: Isaac Jaggard, 1620.
First edition in English, published by Jaggard three years prior to his printing of the Shakespeare First Folio. Shakespeare utilized Boccaccio's tales in several of his plays, possibly through French editions or at second hand. He may have encountered selections in William Painter's The Palace of Pleasure, 1566-67, which contained the first English translations of the stories found in Boccaccio, Bandello and other Italian novelists, for it is known that Shakespeare used Painter as the foundation for All's Well that Ends Well and also drew from it for other plays. This complete translation of The Decameron has been attributed by Douglas Bush to John Florio (Bush, English Literature in the Earlier Sixteenth Century). Florio's Italian-English dictionary appeared in 1598 and his monumental translation of Montaigne proved a strong influence on Shakespeare's later works. Grolier Wither to Prior 250 (incorrectly calling for 3 leaves in II:P); Pforzheimer 71; ESTC S106639.
Two volumes, folio (273 x 173mm). Errata leaf at end of volume I, B1 is a cancellans. Woodcut titles each with 6 vignettes, 98 woodcut vignettes in text chiefly repeating the title vignettes, woodcut initials, head- and tail-pieces (inner margin extended on A2, tear crossing text repaired on Bb3, paper flaws or other small holes occasionally touching letters, a few minor marginal repairs; vol 2 title-border shaved along fore-margin, quire B short). Modern burgundy morocco gilt, edges gilt, by Riviere (joints repaired). Provenance: Arthur A. Houghton (morocco booklabel; his sale, Christie's, 13 June 1979) – Abel Berland (his sale, Christie's New York, 8 October 2001, lot 8).
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