‎HOUSSAIE, AMELOT DE LA.‎
‎Histoire du gouvernement de Venise. 2 vols. - [ON THE CAUSE OF VENETIAN DECADENCE]‎

‎Paris, Leonard, 1676. 12mo. Uniformly bound in two contemporary full calf bindings with four raised bands and richly gilt spine. Scratches to boards, spine-ends chipped. Lower part of front hinge on vol. 2 split. Previous owner's name to title-pages in contemporary hand, otherwise internally nice and clean. (30), 266, (20) pp. (8), 318, (32) pp.‎

Reference : 60911

‎The rare first edition Houssaie’s popular and controversial analysis of the Venetian government in which he presented various arguments and causes for the decadence Venice had fallen into in the 17th century. The work was printed by the king's printer and dedicated to Louvois, which suggests that the French government did not disapprove of it. It appeared in March 1676 and the Venetian ambassador, Marcantonio Giustinian, later the doge of Venice, immediately protested. Houssaie was sent to the Bastille, where he remained for six weeks. In 1677 a second edition with an additional supplement was published. It immediately sparked new objections and the edition was subsequently suppressed. This act of persecution brought such widespread attention to the book that it underwent twenty-two editions within a span of just three years. It was translated into several languages. Notably, an English translation was done by Lord Falconbridge who was the son-in-law of Oliver Cromwell. This first edition is not often found in the trade.‎