ELEGANZE DELLA LINGUA TOSCANA E LATINA, SCIELTE DA ALDO MANUTIO, utilissime al comporre nell'una e l'altra lingua. Tavola copiosissima...

[ELEGANCE OF THE TUSCAN AND LATIN LANGUAGE, CHOSEN BY ALDO MANUTIO, very useful for composing in both languages. Very copious table...]

VENETIA [Venice]: Aldus [Aldine Press / Paolo Manuzio], 1556. FIRST EDITION.

Pasteboard covers, cord binding, 8vo., approx 4.5x6.5 inches (11x16 cm). Italic type. Pagination: [2] blank front leaves, A-I8, K10, [1] blank rear leaf: total of 82 printed leaves: [1], 2-73, [9]. Aldine anchor and dolphin printer's device on title page.

GOOD condition: Professionally strengthened, making this a solid, lovely copy. Manuscript title on the spine is worn but visible; the front cover has a later, neat handwritten title on it. The front and rear inner hinges are split but holding well with the cord binding. The text block is tight. There are very early names, doodles and drawings on the front and rear blank endpapers which I think adds to the uniqueness of this copy, it shows that many books even in 1556 were treated as books to be marked up and used, not as scarce collectible items meant for museums. I wish I could translate these early owner's names, including one on the front pastedown and one that is marked out but still sort of visible on the title page, but alas, I cannot. There are many very early underlinings of words with manuscript calligraphy notes in the margins next to them on the first 15 leaves; subsequently there are additional margin notes here and there throughout. Was this an early scholar or student's copy? There is a smudge, small tear, corner crease, mark, here and there. Overall a complete, solid, bright, presentable copy.

RARE 1556 first edition printed in Venice by Paolo Manuzio, made unique and interesting with the early doodles, names, and annotations, giving the book an "I was there" authenticity, imho.

About PAULUS MANUTIUS (from Wikipedia):

******Paulus Manutius (aka Paolo Manuzio), b.1512 d.1574, was a Venetian printer with a humanist education, the third son of the famous printer Aldus Manutius.

The printer's mark of the Aldine Press, used by both Aldus Manutius, the father, and his sons, is known as "the anchor and the dolphin".******