Two very Notable Commentaries the One of the Originall of the Turcks and Empire of the House of Ottomanno, Written by Andrewe Cambine, and thother of the Warres of the Turcke against George Scanderbeg, Prince of Epiro, and of the Great Victories Obteyned by the Sayd George, aswell Against the Emperour of Turkie, as other Princes, and of his Other Rare Force and Vertues, Worthye of Memorye, Translated Oute of Italian into Englishe by Iohn Shute.
London: Printed... by Rouland Hall for Humfrey Toye dwelling in Paules Churche yearde at the signe of the Helmette, 1562. First English edition. Small 4to. (10), 32, 32-68, 99-100, 1-42, [3] ff. Six leaves (D3-E4) with slight loss to the lower corners just clipping the text, now sensitively repaired and the missing characters expertly filled in by hand to style, three leaves (F1, Ee2 and Ee3) supplied in close matching facsimile, recent period style vellum, gilt lettered red label. An attractive copy of a scarce work. John Shute's first English translations of two important early works relating to the Ottoman Empire: Cambini's "Commentario... della Origine de Turchi" and Paolo Giovio's account of the wars between the Turks and the Albanians led by Skanderbeg. Cambini's work was first published in 1529, two years after his death, Giovio's in 1531, with several Italian editions of each appearing in succeeding decades. ESTC lists four copies of this edition in the UK, another in Europe and six copies in the US (including two at Harvard). Certainly rare in commerce with just two copies showing in auction records: it made $912 (including premium) at the Boles Penrose sale at Sotheby's in 1971 and £2,000 (excluding premium) at Christie's in 1981. STC 4470. Item #30423
Price: £7,000.00