FRACASTORO Girolamo / VICO Giambattista – La Sifilide […] tradotta da Pietro Belli – 1731

Descrizione

FRACASTORO Girolamo / VICO Giambattista – La Sifilide di Girolamo Fracastoro tradotta da Pietro Belli e dedicata all’Eccellentissimo e Riverendissimo Monsignore Ernesto de’ Conti d’Harrach Auditore della Sagra Ruota Romana (Hieronymi Fracastorii Syphilidis, sive Morbi Gallici libri tres, ad Petrum Bembum) – 1731. In Napoli, presso il Parrino. Limp cardboard with handwritten title at the spine (reported as “G. B. Vico – Diritto Naturale delle Genti – 1731); octavo, cm 18,4 x 12,1; pp. (2b) (28) 104 (2b); slight trace of use at the binding, light water stain at the upper margin of the first part of the work, some pages physiologically browned, otherwise a good copy. Initials and endings in woodcut. Really scarse first edition of the first vernacular translation of the “Morbo Gallico”. The work is divided in two: the vernacular version first, followed by the original text in latin. Beyond the bibliographic rarity, this edition is rather important because of the role played here by Giambattista Vico. The work contains a dedication and a preface: the first one (a-c2) – the most important – actually brings the name of Belli as author, although it was almost certainly written by Vico himself (see Croce’s Vico bibliography); while the preface (c2v-c4v) is clearly signed by Vico. In these two very short ‘essays’ (previously unreleased), Vico tries to emphasize the link between the history of natural law and the philosophical history of humanity.