Guazzo (Stefano) The Civile Conversation, second English edition, translated by George Pettie and Bartholomew Young, largely printed in black letter, title within typographic border, colophon leaf with woodcut coat-of-arms and typographic decorations, other woodcut decorations and initials, title and colophon laid down, the latter with a couple of small holes but not affecting text, lacking initial leaf (blank except for signature 'A'), small tear to A6, leaves in sig. U misbound, some water-staining, particularly at beginning and end, L8 repaired tear, 19th century half calf over marbled boards, rubbed, head of spine nicked, spine label chipped, [STC 12423; Pforzheimer 796], 4to, by Thomas East, 1586.

⁂ Of the first English edition, published in 1581, Pforzheimer says "Guazzo's book was the middle-class counterpart of Castiglione's and, according to Florio, was much read by Englishmen in the original Italian. Sir Edward Sullivan has made an interesting study of Shakespeare's use of this book, listing many parallel passages and demonstrating its usefulness to Shakespeare for supplying details of Italian manners for some of his plays." This edition has two settings, most notably in quires A and N. This copy has A5 recto line 3 ending "lightnes" and N1 line 1 "swoord".