Torquato Tasso; Paolo Beni. IL GOFFREDO, OVERO LA GIERUSALEMME LIBERATA, DEL TASSO, COL COMMENTO DEL BENI. Padua: per Francesco Bolzetta, 1616. Full leather, raised bands and gilt on spine, all edges speckled, manuscript on tail edge. Thick 4to; +4 A-3B4 3C6 3D-7O4; [8], 1214, [4]pp. (some pages mis-numbered). Roman and italic type; text in Italian. With commentary by Paolo Beni. Dedication to Ferdinando Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua. With woodcut on title page, printed marginalia, and woodcut head-pieces, ornaments, and initials. USTC 4023196.

8 1/2 x 6 3/4 in.

From the Collection of Professor Roberto Severino, Washington, D.C.

Torquato Tasso (1544-1595) was an Italian poet who followed in the footsteps of his father, the poet Bernardo Tasso. He is most famous for his epic poem from 1581, La Gerusalemme Liberata, or Jerusalem Delivered. This edition from 1616 offers commentary from Torquato Tasso's friend, the professor and humanist Paolo Beni.

Boards with small stains and paper residue, edgewear, corners significantly rubbed, front joint cracked, rear joint partially cracked; spine with small sticker, rubbed with several wormholes and small losses and cracks at head and tail; front hinge with slight cracking, title page with manuscript, occasional small wormhole, stain, or small edge or corner loss, several pages trimmed close at upper margin, frequent light damp staining at corners and edges, pages lightly toned and foxed, with most pages clean and unmarked; lacking front free endpaper.