Stories from the Pentamerone.

A rarity in the original binding. The collection of Italian folk-tales by Giambattista Basile, Conte di Torrone, 1566-1632, (who is believed to have collected them chiefly in Crete and Venice) was originally called Lo Cunti de li Cunto (The Story of Stories, 1634) but became known as Il Pentamerone by 1674 and comprised fifty tales over five nights. Published posthumously in Naples with a Neapolitan dialect that kept it out of northern European tradition for two centuries, it eventually influenced the form of fairy-tale writing in Europe, in particular those of the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault.

This edition features 32 of the tales in a translation by John Edward Taylor published in 1847. Comprising:The Myrtle; Peruonto; Vardiello; The Flea; Cenerentola; The Merchant; Goat-Face; The Enchanted Doe; Parsley; The Three Sisters; Violet; Pippo; The Serpent; The She-Bear; The Dove; Cannetella; Corvetto; The Booby; The Stone in the Cock's Head; The Three Enchanted Princes; The Dragon; The Two Cakes; The Seven Doves; The Raven; The Months; Pintosmalto; The Golden Root; Sun, Moon, and Talia; Nennillo and Nennella; The Three Citrons; Conclusion.

Deluxe edition limited to 150 copies; 4to; 32 tipped-in colour plates including the frontispiece, by Warwick Goble, with captioned tissue-guards, a few random, faint spots to preliminary pages (as is usual) and extremities of untrimmed edges, otherwise internally bright and fine; publisher's full vellum gilt, closed tear to head of spine and light stain to base, replaced cream endpapers and silk ties, else very good and it presents well; xiii, 303 [1].