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    Title

  • Title page of Anti-Machiavel and a portrait of Niccolò Machiavelli

  • Physical Description

    1 online resource (1 title page : engraving) : color

  • Date

    1741

  • Notes

    Title page of: Anti-Machiavel, oder Prüfung der Regeln Nic. Machiavells von der Regierungskunst eines Fürsten / mit historischen und politischen Anmerkungen, aus dem Französischen übersetzet. Göttingen : Verlegts die Königliche Universitets-Buchhandlung, 1741.

    Title page includes a portrait of Niccolò Machiavelli.

  • Summary

    Anti-Machiavel is an 18th century essay by Frederick the Great, King of Prussia and patron of Voltaire, rebutting The Prince, the 16th century book by Niccolò Machiavelli, and Machiavellianism in general. It was first published in September 1740, a few months after Frederick became king. The work was produced at a turning point in Frederick's life, after his turbulent and rebellious youth, and immediately before his assumption of the throne of Prussia. It is known from letters to Voltaire that Frederick began to ruminate on the project early in 1738; his draft of the brief work was completed by the end of 1739. At this point, Voltaire took over. Living in the Vieille Cour, the Prussian residence in The Hague, and working with a local printer named Van Duren, Voltaire revised the text extensively — so much so, in fact, that the printer decided to publish, in addition to Voltaire's revised edition, a version of the king's original manuscript. There was also a combined edition, with Voltaire's emendations as footnotes. In the meantime, Frederick had become king, and his authorship — which was a very open secret — made the book an instant success and bestseller. Not surprisingly, Frederick had other matters to occupy his attention, and he did not return to the work in an appreciable way.

  • Depicted

    Frederick, II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786, Anti-Machiavel; Machiavelli, Niccolò, 1469-1527, Portraits.

  • Subject

    Political science, Early works to 1800

  • Genre

    Portraits

  • Medium

    Title pages; Engravings

  • Part Of

    Rare Book Collection of Frank L. Herz

  • Accession Number

  • URL

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Citation

Title page of Anti-Machiavel and a portrait of Niccolò Machiavelli, Leo Baeck Institute, r 450 Herz H 3 Online [Title page].