On Discovery
Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2002. Hardcover. 12mo. Near Fine / Near Fine. Item #002999
The I Tatti Renaissance Library No. 6. xxx, 721 p.p. Facing Latin to English translation. Includes notes on chronology, notes to text and translation, and bibliography. Blue cloth boards with black spine label, gilt lettering. Dust jacket is sunned at spine, else fine. The Italian humanist Polydore Vergil (1470-1555) was born in Urbino but spent most of his life in early Tudor England. His most popular work, On Discovery (De inventoribus rerum, 1499) was the first comprehensive account of discoveries and inventions written since antiquity. It became a key reference for anyone who wanted to know about "firsts" in theology, philosophy, science, technology, literature, langauge, law, material culture, and other fields. This is the first English translation of a critical edition based on the Latin texts published in Vergil's lifetime.
Price: $50.00