Epistolae clarorum virorum. Quibus veterum autorum complures explicantur, tribus libris [...] comprehensæ: atque nunc primùm in lucem editae

8vo. [8] prel. leaves, 445, [1], 25, [5] pp. Collation: *8, a-z8, A-E8; A-B8 (lacking E8, a blank). With the printer's device on the title page. 19th century half morocco (Gardien, 1863), gilt back, old entries of ownership on the title-page and on the front end-paper.
Adams, E-22; Baudrier, VIII, 302; Index Aurelienis, 126.082.
 
FIRST EDITION. This collection was often confused with that of the same title printed by Paolo Manuzio in 1556. It is dedicated by Bruto to Cardinal Giulio della Rovere and has also a short note to the reader by Sébastien Gryphe. It is divided into three books with an appendix and contains 87 letters.
“La corrispondenza di Giovanni Michele Bruto può ben dirsi una preziosa miniera di informazioni sia sulla sua biografia, sia sui rapporti che intrattenne con Italiani appartenenti alle varie communità con le quali ebbe contatti durante la sua esistenza” (A. Cognolati, Giovanni Michele Bruto e l'educazione femminile: ‘La istitutione di una fanciulla nata nobilmente (1555)', in: “Annali dell'Università di Ferrara. Sezione III. Filosofia, Discussion Papers”, 64, 2001, p. 14).
 
(Liber I:)
Vettori, Pietro to Della Casa, Giovanni. Firenze, December 13, 1556 (p. 1)
Della Casa, Giovanni to Florimonte, Galeazzo (in verses) (p. 11)
Della Casa, Giovanni to Vettori, Pietro. January 21, 1556 (p. 14)
Vettori, Pietro to Della Casa, Giovanni (p. 19)
Contareni, Gaspare to Ginéz Sepúlveda, Juan. Roma, April 26, 1539 (p. 26)
id. to id. February 5, 1540 (p. 29)
Ginéz Sepúlveda, Juan to Contareni, Gaspare. [1540?] (p. 32)
id. to Pinciano, Fernando (p. 39)
id. to id. (p. 50)
id. to id. (p. 54)
Ginéz Sepúlveda, Juan to Quignonez, Juan. December 5, n.y. (p.61)
Angeli da Barga, Pietro to Valori, Baccio.(p. 66)
Bocca, Giuseppe to Angeli da Barga, Pietro (p. 75)
Angeli da Barga, Pietro to Bocca, Giuseppe (p. 78)
id. to id. (p. 85)
id. to id. (p.90)
Angeli da Barga, Pietro to Cioffi, Antonio (p. 95)
Bruto, Gian Michele to Gonzaga, Vespasiano. September 1, n.y. (p. 99) [added is an extract from Bruto's second book of his De Instauratione Italiæ, pp. 105-169]
Bruto, Gian Michele to Tiepolo, Paolo (p. 169) [added is an extract from Bruto's first book of his De Instauratione Italiæ, pp. 181-192]
Bruto, Gian Michele to Spinola, Franco (p. 192)
Bruto, Gian Michele to Vonicus, Sylvius (p. 205)
Angeli da Barga, Pietro to Bruto, Gian Michele (p. 224)
Luigini, Francesco to Bruto, Gian Michele. Toledo, February 10, 1560 (p. 229)
 
(Liber II:)
Giberti, Giovanni Matteo to Ginéz Sepúlveda, Juan. Verona, July 25, 1536 (p. 232)
Ginéz Sepúlveda Juan to Giberti, Giovanni Matteo. February 15, 1534 (p. 236)
Vettori, Pietro to Pole, Reginald. Firenze, March 19, 1550 (p. 239)
Pole, Reginald to Vettori, Pietro. Roma, March 28, 1550 (p. 243)
Amaseo, Romolo to Pellicerio, Guglielmo. Bologna, October 23, 1541 (p. 247)
Bonamici Lazzaro to Góis, Damião de. Padova, July 9, 1539 (p. 249)
id. to id. Padova, August 28, n.y. [1539?] (p. 250)
id. to id. Padova, April 18, n.y. [1540?] (p. 251)
Paleario, Aonio to Marino, Andrea (p. 253)
Marino, Andrea to Paleario, Aonio. Milano, November 23, 1559 (p. 256)
Luigini, Francesco to Paleario, Aonio. Toledo, January 15, 1560 (p. 258)
Paleario, Aonio to Luigini, Francesco (p. 260)
Bruto, Gian Michele to Angeli da Barga, Pietro (p. 262)
Minutolo, Giovanni Battista to Angeli da Barga, Pietro. Lyon, September 1, n.y. (p. 272)
Angeli da Barga, Pietro to Minutolo, Giovanni Battista. Pisa, October 10, 1560 (p. 277)
id. to id. (in verse) (p. 282)
Minutolo, Giovanni Battista to Bruto, Gian Michele (p. 284)
Angeli da Barga, Pietro to Gryphe, Antoine. Pisa, November 4, 1560 (p. (286)
Antoniano, Silvio to Angeli da Barga, Pietro (p. 289)
Bruto, Gian Michele to Pallavicino, Niccolò (p. 290)
Bruto, Gian Michele to Luigini, Francesco (p. 302)
id. to Minutolo, Giovanni Battista. E Laurentiano, January 15, n.y. (p. 307)
Minutolo, Giovanni Battista to Delbernus (Dubern?), Franciscus. Lyon, November 1, 1560 (p. 326)
 
(Liber III:)
Du Chaste