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COLLIER, JEREMY AND LOUIS MORERI, [ET AL.] The great historical, geographical, genealogical and poetical dictionary; being a curious miscellany of sacred and prophane history. Containing, in short, the lives and most remarkable actions of the patriarchs, judges, and kings of the Jews; of the apostles, fathers, and doctors of the church; of popes, cardinals, bishops, &c. É Together with the establishment and progress both of religious and military orders, and the lives of their founders. As also, the fabulous history of the heathen gods and heroes. The description of empires, kingdoms, commonwealths, provinces, cities, towns, islands, mountains É The whole being full of remarks and curious enquiries, for the illustration of several difficulties in theology, history, chronology and geography. Collected from the best historians, chronologers and lexicographers É
London, printed for Henry Rhodes; Thomas Newborough; the assigns of L. Meredith; and Elizabeth Harris, 1701-05. First edition in English of Moreri's great Le grand dictionaire historique, here styled the "second edition, revis'd, correct'd and enlarg'd to the year 1688," 4 vols. in 3, folio, engraved frontis portrait, title-pp. in red and black; text in double column; contemporary and probably original quarter calf over marbled boards, gilt lettering direct on spines; joints cracked, cords holding; extremities rubbed and worn; rear cover of vol. I loose but present; mild dampstaining on last 20 leaves in bottom margin of vol. II, with resultant mildew; a venerable- looking set. Ebert 14387, citing Moreri: "A work esteemed notwithstanding its faults. The first edition appeared, Lyons, 1674. fol. in 1 vol. The work was gradually augmented by Parayre, the Abbe de St. Ussan, J. Le Clerc [as here], Vaultier, Dupin, Jac. Bernard, L. Fr. Jos. de la Barre, Pt. Rogues and Cl. Pt. Goujet. Concerning the different editions, see Marchand, Dictionn. II. 289." Circle of Knowledge #13, also citing Moreri: "The title does not convey the full import of Moreri's work, which contains also much geographical and biographical material. His book is arranged alphabetically, with articles on places, people, books, and general subjects intermixed. Encyclopaedias modeled on it were published in Germany, Switzerland, and England; Peter the Great is supposed to have commanded a Russian translation, and an Italian translation was projected." And Spanish edition appeared in Paris in the mid-18th century in volumes. Says DNB of Collier's contributions: "Although many of the original articles, especially those on church matters, are learned, the book as a whole did not satisfy the requirements of scholars, and was pronounced inaccurate [but] the labour of production must have been very great."
Offered for US$ 1250.00 by: Rulon-Miller Books ABAA/ILAB - Book number: 23073