Rime

Venice: D. and G.B. Guerra [?FOR ALDO II MANUZIO; see below], 1580. 18th-century vellum over stiff boards (light soiling), gilt spine and morocco labels, edges sprinkled red and blue.

First Edition of THE COLLECTED POEMS OF THIS BISEXUAL PERUGIAN CHARMER KNOWN FOR HIS LOVE AFFAIRS. This posthumous anthology gathers 155 of his sonnets, canzoni, sestine and madrigals, most of which had previously circulated only in manuscript.
With tenderness and humor, Beccuti describes his crushes, break-ups, rivalries and friendships. While many of the subjects are named, THE EDITOR BOWDLERIZED THE SERIES OF SONNETS ABOUT BECCUTI'S GREATEST HOMOSEXUAL AFFAIR. Beccuti's male love interest is replaced by a nymph named Cloris and homoerotic classical references are removed. A catty poem addressed to his crush's victorious girlfriend is simply left out.
Beccuti also praises the Farnese family, mourns the death of Bembo, celebrates his pregnant wife and translates passages from Ovid, Apuleius and the Greek Anthology.
THE PREFACE REVEALS THAT ALDO II MANUZIO WAS INVOLVED IN THE PUBLICATION - Brunet suggests as printer, Renouard as publisher or editor. A good copy (light foxing, one leaf repaired at the gutter, stain on one leaf marring three words), a contemporary reader added the name Giovanni next to a line about the heart finding peace thinking of a beloved's name.
¶Dall'Orto, "Francesco Beccuti" in Who's Who in Gay and Lesbian History edd. Aldrich & Wotherspoon 44; Crismani, Edizione critica della Rime di Francesco Coppetta dei Beccuti Ve1580; Renouard, Annales de l'imprimerie des Alde 493,2; Brunet II: 261; EDIT16 CNCE 4773.