Le imprese illustri con espositioni, et discorsi del S.or Ieronimo Ruscelli [...] Con la giunta di altre imprese tutto riordinato et corretto

4to (252x173 mm). [24], 496 pp. Collation: a-c4 A-Qqq4. Engraved title page with the dedicatee King Philip of Spain's arms in the center. Engraved section title of part two and three on ll. D1r and Vv4r respectively. Overall with 106 small, 15 large and 1 double-page (repeated) engraved illustrations in text. Later calf, spine with three raised bands and a label with a manuscript shelfmark (“33 K”), marbled edges. First title page soiled, scattered marginal staining, bottom margin of leaves X1, Z1, Aa2-3, Dd3, Yy1, Yy4, Ggg2-3, Lll2-3, Nnn2-3, Ooo2-3 and Ppp4 anciently reinforced with no loss of text, partially repaired worm tracks on the leaves of quires Ccc-Fff not affecting the text.
First printed by Rampazetto in 1566, Ruscelli's profusely illustrated emblem book was reprinted by Comin da Trino in 1572 and again by Francesco de' Franceschi in 1584 with the addition of a fourth book dated 1583. The present 1580 edition has some of the plates rather worn and it is thus believed by some scholars to be a pirate edition, possibly printed after 1583-‘84, as some copies of it are bound with the fourth book.
Girolamo Ruscelli, of humble origins, was born in Viterbo and became one of the leading editors of the Cinquecento. He was first active in Rome, where he founded the Accademia dello Sdegno and later settled in Venice working for such publishers as Sessa and Valgrisi. He was a friend of Bernardo and Torquato Tasso, Lodovico Dolce and Pietro Aretino, the last two were to become his rivals in several bitter controversies (cf. P. Procaccioli & P. Marini, eds. Girolamo Ruscelli. Dall'accademia alla corte alla tipografia, Atti del convegno internazionale di studi, Viterbo 6-8 ottobre 2011, Rome, 2012, passim).
Edit 16, CNCE 28143; Praz, p. 482.