12mo. A conflated book. Gaza’s
Greek translation interleaved with the
Latin text; title within a woodcut Holbeinesque border, printer’s name in the colophon.
Bound for Jefferson in calf, gilt ornaments on the back, front cover gone; a manuscript note at the end.
The Basel edition was bought from
Koenig of Strassburg, price
1. Ordered by Jefferson from a catalogue in a letter from Paris, June 29, 1789, acknowledged by Koenig with the bill on July 8. Entered without price on Jefferson’s undated manuscript catalogue.
In his Syllabus of an Estimate of the merit of the doctrines of Jesus compared with those of others, written to Benjamin Rush
from Washington, April 21, 1803, Jefferson began with the Philosophers: “
I. Philosophers. 1. Their precepts related chiefly to ourselves, & the government of those passions which, unrestrained, would
disturb our tranquility of mind.
”
To this sentence he added a footnote: “
To explain, I will exhibit the heads of Seneca’s & Cicero’s philosophical works, the most extensive of any we have recieved
from the antients . . . of 11. tracts of Cicero, 5. respect ourselves, viz.
de finibus,
Tusculana,
Academica,
Paradoxa,
de Senectute. 1.
de officiis, partly to ourselves partly to others, 1.
de amicitiâ relates to others, and 4. are on different subjects, to wit,
de naturâ deorum,
de divinatione,
de fato, and
Somnium Scipionis.
”
In his letter to John Adams, written from Monticello on July 5, 1814, in which he discussed the
Republic
of Plato (q.v.), Jefferson expressed surprise at the eulogy of Plato by Cicero, whom he described as “
able, learned, laborious, practised in the business of the world, & honest.”
Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 B.C. Roman orator and politician.
Theodorus Gaza, 1398-1478, Byzantine scholar. The first edition of this translation into Greek was published by Aldus in 1519.
[1314]
J. 78
[
Cicero de Officiis. not. var.
8
vo.
]
id.
12
mo.
2 cop.
1815 Catalogue, page 56. no. 10, Id. 12mo.
CICERO,
Marcus Tullius.
[
De officiis M. Tullii Ciceronis libri tres. Item de Amicitia: de Senectute: Paradoxa: & de Somnio Scipionis. Cum indice in fine libri adjuncto . . . Ex typographeio
Societatis Stationariorum,
Londini,
1614.]
PA6296 .D5 1614
Sm. 8vo. This copy is imperfect, lacking all before B
2. It collates B
2-8, C-R
8, and has 247 numbered pages plus the Index.
Old boards. Initialled by Jefferson at sig. I. The book has a number of scribblings in ink, including the signature of
Henry ford his book amen anno domini 1631. With the Library of Congress 1815 bookplate.
Jefferson bought a copy of
de Officiis, imprint and format unspecified, from
Froullé on July 26, 1789, price
1.4 (livres).
[1315]
79
Cicero’s Offices by Cockman.
Eng.
12
mo.
1815 Catalogue, page 56. no. 11, as above, omitting
Eng.
This book was not received by Congress in 1815. It is entered in the Library catalogue of that date, but is marked
missing in the contemporary working copy, and not checked as having been received.
[1316]
80
Cicero de finibus. not. var.
8
vo.
1815 Catalogue, page 56. no. 12, De Finibus bonorum, Gronovii, 12mo.
CICERO,
Marcus Tullius.
M. Tullii Ciceronis de Finibus bonorum & malorum ad Brutum Libri Quinque. Juxta Editionem Gronovii correctissimam summa cura emendati. In Usum
Juventutis Academicæ.
Glasguæ:
Typis Academicis, Impensis
Andreæ Stalker Bibliopolæ,
1732.
PA6296 .D2
Sm. 8vo. 104 leaves; title printed in red and black.
This edition not in Lowndes; not in Graesse; not in Ebert.
[1317]
