Italian poetry.- Crescimbeni (Giovanni Mario) L'Istoria della Volgar Poesia, 6 vol., first complete edition, half-titles, titles with woodcut Arcadian device, folding engraved portrait frontispiece to vol.1, 2 engraved plates in vol. 6, woodcut illustrations, vol.2 lacking index, occasional spotting or foxing, some light browning, later half vellum, spine gilt and with double leather labels, some worming to spines, rubbed, small 4to, Venice, Lorenzo Basegio, 1730-1731.

⁂ The first complete edition of this monumental work on the history of Italian poetry by the critic and poet Crescimbeni (1663-1728), co-founder of the celebrated Academy of Arcadians, for which he acted as secretary from its foundation in 1690 to his death 38 years later.