Author: LUCRETIUS.
Title: T. Lucretii Cari De Rerum Natura Libri Sex. A D. Lambino Monstroliensi litt. Grec. Lutetie doctore Regio nuper ope veteru[m] codicu[m] a multis mendis vindicati, nunc ab eodem recogniti, & perpurgati. Accesserunt aliquot ab Adr. Turnebo emendationes. In calce libri variae lectiones: Le rerum insigniorum index.
Description: Parisiis, In AEdibus Rouillij, via Iacobca sub signo co[n]cordiae. Cum privilegio Regis. 1565. Small 8vo, 123 x 78, pp. [xxiv], 277 [sic, for 287, 288 blank. 289 - 303 variant readings [3044 blank, 3055 - 318 index], woodcut title-page, with scrolls, column, faces within heartshapes, etc., later (probably 18th century) limp vellum, leather label; some small inkstains on early leaves, some very slight worming, front hinge almost completely open, with inner spine exposed. The text has been prepared by Adrianus Turnebus (1512 - 1516), and as Wikipedia notes, "At the age of twelve he was sent to Paris to study, and attracted great notice by his remarkable abilities. After having held the post of professor of belles-lettres in the University of Toulouse, in 1547 he returned to Paris as professor (or royal reader) of Greek at the College Royal. In 1562 he exchanged this post for a professorship in Greek philosophy. In 1552 he was entrusted with the printing of the Greek books at the royal press, in which he was assisted by his friend, Guillaume Morel. Joseph Justus Scaliger was his pupil. He died of tuberculosis on 12 June 1565 in Paris. Montaigne wrote that he 'knew more and better, what he knew, than any man in his age or of many ages past.'" The French classical scholar Denis Lambin (Latinized as Dionysius Lambinus) (1520 - 1572) was first professor of Latin at the College de France and later professor of Greek. One of the great scholars of his age, he is noted as an exceptionally skilled textual critic, and many of his readings are retained in modern editions of classical text. His edition of Lucretius was first published in 1563. The printer Philippe Gaultier was active in Paris 1562 - 1569. Although Luctretius' text has been edited, studied, and commented on, I found Stephen Greenblatt's book, The Swerve: How the World became Modern (2011) elegantly and cogently written and a useful reminder that much of what we know and take for granted derived from geniuses like Lucretius. PMM 87 for the first edition of 1563. Gordon 203 for this edition. OCLC locates copies Manchester, Southern California, and Heidelberg. There is also a copy in Paris at the BN. See also Quaritch's 2015 catalogue of books from Cosmo Gordon's library.

Keywords: classics scholarship prose


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