Opere Diverse del Marchese Cesare Beccaria Bonesana Patrizio Milanese
Early Collected-Works Edition of Beccaria Beccaria, Cesare Bonesana, Marchese di [1738-1794]. [Voltaire (Arouet, Francois-Marie) (1694-1778)]. Opere Diverse del Marchese Cesare Beccaria Bonesana Patrizio Milanese. Naples: Nella Stamperia di Giovanni Gravier, 1770. Three parts in two volumes. [xii], 316, [4]; [iv], 128, [4], 178, [2] pp. 6 folding tables. Volume I has copperplate allegorical frontispiece of an executioner before Athena, who has features similar to Lady Justice. Octavo (7-1/2" x 4-1/4"). Contemporary three-quarter vellum over marbled boards, red and green lettering pieces and gilt decoration to spines, ribbon markers. Light rubbing to boards, moderate rubbing to board edges, light soiling to spines, chipping to edges of lettering pieces, spine ends and corners bumped, corners lightly worn, small blind embossed ownership stamps to preliminaries and a few leaves in each volume. Light toning and foxing to interior, light creasing to folding tables, one of which has a small clean tear just touching table, faint dampstain to upper corner of first 20 or so leaves of Vol. I. $1,500. * One of the first collections of Beccaria's works. Volume I contains Dei Delitti e Delle Pene, Voltaire's famous commentary on that work and two anonymous commentaries: "Giudizio di Celebre Professore Sopra il Libro de'Delitti e Delle Pene" and "Riposta ad uno Scritto, Che s'Initola Note ed Osservazioni sul Libro de' Delitti e Delle Pene." The other two volumes collect Beccaria's writings on economics, aesthetics and other topics. The frontispiece appears to be a variant on Perseus's presentation of Medusa's head to Athena. In this version Perseus is an executioner holding three severed heads in one hand and a sword and guillotine blade in the other. Athena, who is horrified, represents Lady Justice. (Her scales are resting beside her with symbols of justice and industry.) OCLC locates 16 complete copies, 10 in North America, 1 in a law library (Yale). Not in the British Museum Catalogue.
Price: $1,500.00
Book number 75222