THE EXCELLENT LAMBINUS-EDITION

PLAUTUS, M. ACCIUS.

Ex fide atque auctoritate complurum librorum manuscriptorum opera Dionys. Lambini. Monstroliensis emendatus: ab eodémque commentariis explicatus. Adiecta sunt Plautina loca ex antiquis grammaticis collecta: & ex commentario antiquarum lectionum lusti Lipsij multorum Plauti locorum illustrationes. Nunc denò plurimis quae in priorem editionem irrepserant mendis repurgatus, multíque in locis in gratiam antiquariorum illustratus. Cum gemino Indice: priore verborum, locutinum & sententiarum: posteriore eorum quae Commentariis D. Lambini continentur.

Lugduni (Lyon), Expensis Gulielmi Hertman, 1577. Folio. Nice later (ab. 1800) half calf w. gilt title-label to back. Corners a bit worn. Title-page repaired from verso, no loss. Marginal annotations in cont. hand, some shaved. A nice copy w. only occasional minor brownspotting and a damp stain to top of first four, and a few later, leaves, not affecting text. Also a damp stain to lower margin of about 30 leaves, mostly towards end, barely affecting text. Last leaf soiled and w. repair to bottom, not affecting text. Owner's inscription to title-page stating that Stephanus Johannes from Copenhagen, Denmark, bought the book in Wittenberg in June 1622, inscription shaved. (8), 792 pp., ff. (28, -Index).

The rare counterfeit-edition of the excellent Lambinus-edition of Plautus' works, which originally appeared in 1576. A counterfeit-edition also appeared in Cologne in 1577, and they are both of as great value to Plautus-scholarship as the 1576-edition, all three being of about equal scarcity.

The work is especially esteemed for its commentaries, emendations and notes by Lambinus. "The celebrity of Lambinus in almost every classical work which he edited, has already been frequently noticed. Of this admirable edition, Lambinus lived to finish only the first twelve comedies; but his colleague, Helius, professor of Greek, completed the work, partly by transcribing what remained in Lambinus's hand-writing on the subsequent comedies, and partly by the insertion of his own notes, and emendations of the text. In forming the edition, many MSS. And ancient publications were consulted. "In this excellent edition of Plautus", says Harwood, "Lambinus hath manifested great learning and critical sagacity"." (Dibdin II:310).

According to Greasse, this edition is a "Contrefacon très correcte de l'éd. De Lambin", and Graesse also states that another edition appeared in Geneva in 1595. Grasse 5:328.

Order-nr.: 38881