Leiden, 1628 Format 16°, 11.1x5.4 cm. 431 numbered pages, in Latin. Copper-engraved title page. Solid leather binding with blind-tooled decoration, spine with 3 raised bands. Published by the Elzevir family's printing house in Leiden in 1628. 2nd, expanded edition. Binding slightly damaged, text block in good condition. A well-known work on the political constitution of the Republic of Venice, 5 books describing the functioning of the Venetian offices, the doge, the senate and the council, supplemented with synopses and further political texts about Venice. Gasparo Contarini - Italian diplomat, cardinal and bishop of Belluno. During the Reformation he advocated dialogue with the Protestants. He served as ambassador of the Republic of Venice to Charles V. He was the first to explain the discrepancy in dates during the Magellan-Elcano circumnavigation, caused by the Earth's rotation. He took part in diplomatic efforts toward reconciliation and became a cardinal even though he was initially a layman. He was a leader of the reform movement within the Roman Catholic Church. He took part in the papal approval of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) and in attempts to restore religious unity in Germany.