Rare edition. 
 
Published by William Sharp & Sons, London (1822). All four volumes sold as a complete set only. This is a translation from the original Italian. The Decameron is sometimes nicknamed "Umana Commedia" or "Human Comedy" and is a collection of novellas by the 14th century Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio. 
 
The four volumes contain 100 tales told by a group of seven young women and three young men sheltering in a secluded villa outside Florence to escape the Black Death that was spreading across the city. The various tales of love range from the erotic to the tragic, as well as tales of wit, practical jokes and life lessons. The volumes give us a glimpse of life in Florence in the mid-1300s and is considered a masterpiece of classical early Italian prose. 
 
The four volumes are in excellent condition, with the spine binding exceptionally tight for age. There is foxing to the pages, but minimal.