Zodiacus Vitae is a treatise on neo-Platonic/hermetic morality in poetic form composed of 12 songs (one for each zodiac sign), composed by Pier Angelo Manzolli (1500? -1543) under the pseudonym of Marcellus Palingenius de Stellata (the name is revealed by an acrostic to the first 24 lines of book 1). It is actually a virulent satire of the clergy, including popes (whose hypocrisy is strongly disputed), published in Venice in 1536 and dedicated to the Duke of Ferrara by its author. His vehemence earned him the wrath of the Inquisition and a blacklisting in 1559. Translated into several languages, the work was however a definite success and numerous editions circulated in Europe.
 
Marcelli Palingenii stellati poetae doctissimi, zodiacus vitae, de vita, studio, ac moribus hominum optime instituendis. Libri XII. Editio nova.
 
1721 8 °. Brown original full leather strap on 5 frets with gold-embossed ornaments (these more faded) and a beige back label. (10), 320 pages, 36 pages with an engraved frontispiece and an engraved title vignette. Binding more heavily rubbed, slightly bumped at corners and edges, the book block slightly bent up. Front outer joint burst approx. 3cm. The first 4 sheets with worm tunnel but without any loss of text. Some pages have slight crease marks at the corners, as well as damp margins. The previous owner's signatures in old ink are on the front attachment. Somewhat darkened inside. Collated, still good copy. M13803