A rare first edition of Italian Renaissance diplomat Niccolo Machiavelli's political treatise, ‘The Prince,' is set to go under the hammer at an estimated value of up to £300,000 (around Rs 3.18 crore). Machiavelli, widely associated with cunning political manoeuvres, authored the work in the early 16th century, and this particular edition is one of only 11 first copies. While most of these first editions are housed in institutional collections, primarily in Italy, this copy comes from a private collection, making it a unique find, reported CNN.
“We were not aware of any other copies in private hands, and this is the first copy that we are aware of to have come to auction, certainly in recent decades,” CNN quoted Gabriel Heaton, Sotheby's Books & Manuscripts specialist, as saying. Heaton added, “It's a very first edition and unique opportunity for a copy to come to auction.”
The first edition of 'The Prince' will be part of Sotheby's Books & Manuscripts auction in London, which runs from November 28 to December 12. This copy of the treatise, still bound in its early 17th-century Italian cover, is notable not only for its rarity but also for being bound together with a second edition of Machiavelli's Florentine Histories, another important work by the author.
Machiavelli, who served as a diplomat in the Florentine government, wrote 'The Prince' in 1513 after he was imprisoned on charges of conspiracy. Following his release, he retreated to his family's property in San Casciano, where he completed the treatise. Although 'The Prince' circulated in manuscript form during Machiavelli's lifetime, it was only officially published after his death in 1527, with the first editions appearing posthumously.
This particular copy dates from 1532, and its title page has been removed, possibly to avoid confiscation by authorities at the time. Sotheby's has suggested that the removal may have been a strategic move in light of the Catholic Church's 1559 ban on the text, which was placed on the Index of Prohibited Books. The book was not reprinted until 70 years later.
One of the notable features of this copy is the markings by an early reader on chapter 18 with brackets, drawing attention to its remarkably modern insights into the need for a politician to exploit the divide between how things appear and the reality beneath, as described in the auction catalogue.
