This was one of the list of books sent to
Van Damme of Amsterdam, in a letter dated from Paris March 18, 1788, with the request that they should be bought at a forthcoming auction
if they could be secured at “
des prix assez raisonables.” On July 25 Jefferson wrote to Van Damme sending a list including this book, that he had “
trouvé l’occasion d’acheter ailleurs.”
The first edition of the letters of Aristaenetus was edited by Sambucus, and published by Plantin at Antwerp in 1566. This
edition of 1610 was edited by Josias Mercier, ca. 1566-1626, French classical scholar.
[4627]
J. 14
Alciphronis epistolae.
Gr.
Lat. Bergler.
8
vo.
ap.
Fritsch.
1815 Catalogue, page 153, no. 7, as above.
ALCIPHRON.
’Αλκιφρονος ‛Ρητορος ’Επιστολαι’. Alciphronis Rhetoris Epistolae Qvarum Major Pars Nunc Primum Editur. Recensuit, Emendavit, Versione ac Notis Illustravit Stephanus Bergler. Lipsiae: apud
Thomam Fritsch
1715.
PA3862 .A3 1715
8vo. 232 leaves,
Greek and
Latin text on opposite pages, with notes on the same pages, woodcut Pegasus device on the title, list of errata at the end.
Ebert 377.
Dibdin I, 253.
Original vellum; not initialled by Jefferson; on 2 blank leaves at the end Jefferson has written an index in 3 columns, 38, 41, and 30 lines. With the Library of Congress 1815 bookplate.
Jefferson bought his copy at auction through
Van Damme of Amsterdam, to whom on March 18, 1788, he wrote sending the list of books he wished from the sale, if they could be obtained
at “
prix assez raisonables.” Van Damme sent the books on June 25, with the bill, including this Alciphron, Price
5.10.
Alciphron, Greek rhetorician, 2nd century A. D., was the author of a collection of fictitious letters, of which fourteen were published
in 1499 by Aldus. The letters were inspired largely by the comedies of Philemon and Menander.
Stephen Bergler, c. 1680-c. 1746, German classical scholar. This is the first edition of Alciphron to contain 124 letters.
[4628]
J. 15
Lettres
Grecques d’Alciphron. trad. en
François.
3. v.
12
mo
1815 Catalogue, page 154, no. 8, as above.
ALCIPHRON.
Lettres
Grecques, par le Rhéteur Alciphron; ou anecdotes sur les mœurs et les usages de la Grèce, traduites pour la premiere fois en
françois, avec des notes historiques & critiques. Tome premier, Les Courtisannes. [Tome second, Les Parasites. Tome troisiéme, Sur les Moeurs des peuples de la Grèce.]
A
Amsterdam; et se trouve à
Paris: chez
Nyon l’aîné,
m. dcc. lxxxv.-m. dcc. lxxxiv
. [1785, 4.]
PA3862 .A3 F8 1785
3 vol. 12mo. 198, 148 and 154 leaves; vol. I dated
1785, the other two
1784.
French calf, gilt backs, marbled endpapers, r.e. Initialled by Jefferson at sig. I in vol. I only; marginal references by
him in ink throughout the three volumes; in vol. I, on the white verso of the endpaper, and on the upper part of the recto of the half title opposite, is an index in ink by Jefferson closely written in double columns, for the three volumes, 109 names in all. With
the Library of Congress 1815 bookplate in each volume.
The contemporary working copy of the Library of Congress 1815 catalogue has a manuscript note beside this entry: 2
d vol. missing ret. by M
r. Watterston July 30
th. The manuscript list of books missing from the Library of Congress has the same information.
Jérome Richard, Abbé, canon of Vezeley and a famous zoologist, was the translator into French.
[4629]
