Binding in full limp parchment that is very dirty but still solid, with nails and handwritten author on the spine.

1 blank page, 395, [22] unnumbered pages, 1 blank page

Composed over the course of an entire lifetime, the books of the Historiae record the various reactions that the history of his time produced in their author. The sense of greatness that pervades the early books gives way to the disillusionment that informs the later ones: these overflow with the irreconcilable disputes between Christian monarchs and reflect the spirit of a life spent witnessing how such conflicts, useless and ruthless, were only a source of suffering.

Copy inside in good condition, a streak of dampness that comes and goes along the entire volume in the lower part which minimally affects the text without ever compromising it. Manuscript ownership note on the white paper and on the title page. Beautiful inhabited woodcut initials. Complete and usable.