Mythologiae sive explicationis Fabularum Libri Decem, inquibus omnia prope Naturalis et Moralis philosophiae dogmata in veterum fabulis contenta fuisse perspicue demonstrator: Oput cuissuis facultatis studiosis perutile ac prope necessarium. Accessit G. Linocerii Musarum Mythologia, & anonymi observationum in totam de dijs gentium narrationem Libellus. Adiectae sunt insuper nouissimae huic, post Germanica & Gallicam, edition elegantissimae Deorum imagines, & eruditissimae mythologiae M. Antonij Tritonij Utinensis, Omnia summon studio, & exquisite labore emendate. Patavii, apud Petrumpaulum Tozzium. Extypographeio Laurentij Pasquati. 1616. [Imprim. Typographum Cameralem. 1615. Patauij ex Typographia Camer. 1616]] First illustrated edition. Small Quarto. Title page in red and black, (5), (5) Catalogus, (28) Index, 614, (1), 60pp. 2 full page engraved plates, large folding astrological plate, numerous further engravings, engraved headpieces, tailpieces and historiated initials. Text in Latin, with some Greek. Contemporary vellum, spine in five compartments with raised bands. Gilt rules and floral motifs to spine and boards. Hand lettering to spine. Vestiges of closure ties. All page edges gauffered: decoratively tooled and gilded. Signature partly excised from lower margin of title by scorching. Historic notation to fep. Some age related marking and discolouration to vellum. Occasional paper faults, short closed tear to attachment of folding plate, minor corner tears etc., light marginal staining to first ten pages, last few pages lightly spotted, light variable toning. A handsome copy. Natale Conti (1520-1582) Venetian Euhumerist mythographer, poet and historian. The ‘foremost exponent of the mythological tradition’, Conti’s researches and interpretations here were a source for Renaissance emblem books, dictionaries and commentaries, Shakespeare, Milton, Spencer, Bacon, Chapman, Ben Jonson, etc. Ref.: ODNB; Francis Bacon, Natalis Comes and the Mythological Tradition. Barbara Carman Garner. Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes. Vol. 33 (1970), pp. 264-291 Not in the British Library. Two copies only in the UK: One copy Cambridge University Special Collections; One copy Glasgow University Special Collection.