Machiavelli's The Princewas written in 1513 and printed in 1532. Sotheby'sFor many years, historians knew of only ten first-edition copies of Niccol Machiavellis The Princethe controversial 16th-century political treatiseall held by institutions.However, they recently learned of an 11th copy owned by a private collector, which is now heading to the auction block. Sothebys will sell the book at an upcomingBooks & Manuscripts auction in London, where it could fetch as much as $375,000.The book was printed in 1532, five years after the authors death. The dominant text inside is actually MachiavellisFlorentine Histories, a lengthy chronicle of Florence commissioned byPope Leo X. But experts are more interested in the books inclusion of The Prince, Machiavellis most famous work, which he wrote around 1513. Machiavellis Florentine Histories, published posthumously, wasa chronicle of Florence history commissioned by Pope Leo X. Sotheby'sWe were not aware of any other copies in private hands, and this is the first copy that we are aware of to have come to auction, certainly in recent decades, Gabriel Heaton, Sothebys books and manuscripts specialist, tellsCNNs Amarachi Orie. He adds that this particular first-edition copy of The Prince, which features an early 17th-century Italian binding, is very interesting.Per a statement from Sothebys, The Prince is one of the most notorious and influential books of all time. In the early 16th century, its author was a civic official in theFlorentine Republic. But in 1512, the infamous Medici family regained power over Florence. Machiavelli wasimprisoned and tortured on suspicion of conspiracy against the Medicis, and while exiled to his fathers property south of Florence, he wrote The Princewhich some consider thefirst modern treatise on political science.The Prince is essentially a handbook for statesmen that offers guidance on how political rulers can stay in power, as NPRs Sylvia Poggioli wrote on the treatises 500th anniversary in 2013. One of the works most famous lines is: My view is that it is desirable to be both loved and feared; but it is difficult to achieve both and, if one of them has to be lacking, it is much safer to be feared than loved.Machiavelli dedicated The Prince toLorenzo di Piero de Medici, who ruled Florence between 1513 and 1519. The text circulated as a manuscript while Machiavelli was alive, and historians know that at least seven copies were made before its official publication in 1532, per Sothebys. In 1559, the Catholic church banned The Prince; it wouldnt be published again in Italy until 1630. This particular book includes bothMachiavellis Florentine HistoriesandThe Prince. Sotheby'sSince The Princes publication, Machiavellis name has become synonymous with political deceit, cynicism and the ruthless use of power, as NPR wrote, though some scholars have argued that the philosopher doesnt deserve this reputation. Today, the term Machiavellian is frequently used to describe deceitful actions taken in an attempt to gain power.We have one of the great works of political theory of all time, one of the most famous books of the 16th century, and its a very first edition, Heaton tells CNN. Sothebys is delighted to offer the incredibly rare book, he adds.This copy is also lightly annotated. An anonymous reader bracketed a section of text in chapter 18, which includes some of The Princes most strikingly modern pronouncements about the necessity for a savvy politician to manipulate the gulf between appearances and reality to his own ends, per the statement.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.