BOCCACCIO, Giovanni (1313-1375). De montibus, silvis, fontibus, lacubus, stagnis sen paludibus, & de diversis nominibus maris. Venice: [Vindelinus de Spira:], 13 January 1473.

William Morris's copy of Boccaccio's geographical dictionary of antiquity. This alphabetical list of mountains, forests, rivers, and lakes was compiled largely from the writings of the ancient poets. Although most famous now for his witty and humane vernacular story collection, The Decameron, Boccaccio spent his later years focused on works of scholarship in Latin like this one, influenced by a similar turn in the life of his friend, Francesco Petrarch. His famous encomium of Petrarch is found in the chapter here on springs, under Sorgia, the underground source of the Sorgue at Fontaine-de-Vaucluse immortalized in the older poet's verse. This copy of the first edition, from the press of Vindelinus de Spira, brother of the proto-typographer of Venice, has been in several notable collections, chief among them that of artist and Arts-and-Craft movement impresario William Morris. Morris was a discerning collector, close with important book dealers like Bernard Quaritch and Sydney Cockerell, some of whose notes accompany the present volume, who provided him with models and inspiration for the products of the Kelmscott Press. This is a wonderful copy of an early book by one of Morris's favorite authors, also from the libraries of J.P. Morgan and Giannalisa Feltrinelli. BMC V 162; GW 4482; Goff B-756; Bod-inc B-375; BSB-Ink B-564; ISTC ib00756000.

Chancery folio (299 x 218mm). 76 leaves. Illuminated white vine initial on red, green, and blue ground; red and blue humanist initials over printed guide letters throughout (inner bifolia of most gatherings repaired at gutter with some staining, a few other marginal repairs, some worming and dampstaining to gutter margins, one bifolium browned). 18th-century half calf over decorated paper boards (front flyleaf and first two leaves sprung, upper joint very tender). Morocco folding case. Provenance: Johann Koch (16th-century marginal note to the passage on Petrarch); marginalia in a different 16th-century hand and one note in a later hand – William Morris, 1834-1896 (Kelmscott House booklabel, with the inserted catalogue description of the book in Sydney Cockerell's hand; sold via Cockerell and F.S. Ellis to:) – Richard Bennett (bookplate, his catalogue no. 103; sold en bloc in 1902 to:) – John Pierpont Morgan, 1837-1913 (bookplate, erased Morgan Library notes on front pastedown, his catalogue, II, 301; by descent to his son and then donated in 1924 to:) – The Pierpont Morgan Library (sold, Sotheby's, 8 June 1971, lot 6, to Chiesa and then to:) – Giannalisa Feltrinelli (her sale, Christie's, 7 October 1997, lot 14).