Author: LUCRETIUS.
Title: De rerum natura libri sex. Ad optimorum exemplarium fidem recensiti. Accesserunt variae lectiones. Quae in libris Mss. et eruditorum commentariis notatu digniores occurrunt.
Description: London, Jacob Tonson, 1712. 4to. (28, 4x21, 8cm). [iv], 370[=418] pp. With engraved frontispiece, 11 head- & tailpieces and six engraved plates (one of which folding). Full red basane, gilt boards, edges and inner dentelles; gilt center-piece and corner-piece decoration; gilt spine. (hinges unobtrusively repaired; boards sl.chafed; library stamp on title; a few pages slightly browned; pagination of index erratic but complete). A very fine copy. ¶ The plates by J. de Vater, Mignard after Guernier; by Gouwen after Goeree, and after Elliger, etc. ¶ Provenance: armorial bookplate of the Earl of Jersey, Osterley Park. ¶ "A sumptuous and once celebrated edition." (Dibdin II/202). "Text fast ganz nach Creech. Zu Ende stehen Varr. 3er Cod. Vossian., des Cod. Gottorp. u. früherer Ausgg. Ohne umsichtige Auswahl, sammt den Conjecturen Jac. Susii, TH. Munckeri u. Nic. Heinsii." (Schweiger 575). "Meist Creech's Text, mit Variant. aus Mss. collationirten Exx. u. der Ausg. des Pius. Schön u. sehr correct." (Ebert 12450). "The theme of the four Empedoclean elements had been used several times on title-pages during the seventeenth century, but it was not until 1712 that Jacob Tonson commissioned the plates representing scenes from the "De rerum natura', such as the Procession of the Great Mother, Life in the Golden Age and the Plague of Athens which were followed by several later artists." (Gordon, p.235-236). Gordon 502.

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