Dating back to 1640 the book measures 14.5cm x 9cm (5.7in x 3.5in)
A rare first edition translation of The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli has failed to sell at auction.
The 17th Century English translation, valued between £25,000 and £30,000, was found in a pile of common prayer books at a Norfolk home in Swanton Morley.
Andrew Bullock, from Keys Fine Art auctioneers, was "surprised" the book failed to secure a sale.
He said: "The nearest we got was £18,000 but it would be irresponsible to sell at that price."
He added: "The financial climate can affect this kind of sale, but even within the book trade that is operating at a high level, there is not so much buying of expensive books for stock as there used to be."
An historian, diplomat and philosopher <link> <caption>Niccolo Machiavelli</caption> <url href="http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/machiavelli.html" platform="highweb"/> </link> is regarded by experts as the founder of modern political science.
The Prince was originally written in Italian in 1513 and published in 1532, five years after Machiavelli's death.
- Published25 July 2012
