Epistolarum centuriae duae: Quarum prior innovata, altera nova

Autore: LIPSIUS, Justus (1547-1606)

Tipografo: Ex officina Plantiniana, Apud Franciscum Raphelengium

Dati tipografici: Leiden, 1591


8vo. 304 (i.e 312) pp. A-L8, M4. With the printer's device on the title-page. Contemporary blind-stamped pigskin with the arms of the Dukes of Württemberg on the panels.

J. de Landtsheer, Justus Lipsius, 1547-1606, and the Edition of his ‘Centuriae miscellaneae', 1586-1605; some Particularities and Practical Problems, in: “Lias”, 25, 1998, p. 78; A. Pettegree & M. Walsby, eds., Netherlandish books: books published in the Low Countries and Dutch books published abroad before 1601, Leiden, 2011, II, p. 842, no. 19328.

 

RE-ISSUE of the first edition of 1590 (it was reprinted at Frankfurt/M in 1591, Lyon in 1592 and 1596, London in 1593, and Paris in 1599).

“The second part is a new Centuria of letters dedicated to Baron Cecil Burghley, Governor of den Briel [dated April 11, 1590], who has shown great courage and skill both in pace and in wartime. The whole collection was written by Lipsius, with the exception of two letters that came from Josephus Justus Scaliger and his father Julius Caesar [...] This new Centuria got Lipsius into trouble, for three letters [13, 14, 15] inserted, which Lipsius had written during his sojourn in Oldenburg [Westphalia] and in which he had poked fun at the way of life he was confronted with. When [...] the collection was dispersed all over the empire, it stirred up bad blood among the Westphalians. One of them, Johannes Domannus, had his retort ready at the Frankfurt September book fair of 1591, an angry pamphlet to defend his country's honour. Lipsius did not feel tempted to start a paper war, but he apologized in letters to two German acquaintances, men of influence, viz. the Silesian humanist Jacobus Monavius and Henricus Ranzovius, a nobleman and governor of Schleswig-Holstein: he had never had the intention to trample on the Germans' feelings, and definitely not to offend the Emperor; his jokes and their phrasing might have been somewhat ill-considered” (J. de Landtsheer, op. cit., pp. 75-77).

 

(Centuria I, which contains mostly the same letters as the editio princeps of 1586, excepted the following:)

(letter) VII from Scaliger, Julius Caesar is replaced by one to Pithou, Pierre, Louvain, January 17, 1577 (p. 19)

IX to Giselinus, Victor is replaced by another letter to him, August 31, n.y. (p. 28)

X to Ellinger, Andreas is replaced by one to Lernutius, Janus, Leiden, September 12, 1582 (p. 28)

XI from Muret, Marc-Antoine is replaced by one to Gulielmius, Joannes, Leiden, August 11, 1580 (p. 29)

XVII from Busbecq, Ogier [Ghislain de] is replaced by one to Grotius, Jan, Leiden August 2, [1586] (p. 37)

XXIV from Rataller, Georgius is replaced by one to Camden, William, Leiden, July 29, 1586 (p. 53)

XXIX from Scaliger, Julius Caesar is replaced by one to Teeling, Theobald, Leiden, August 14, n.y. (p. 61)

XXX to Florentius, Nicolaus is replaced by one to Biesius, Nicolaus, [June, 1572?] (p. 61)

XXXIV from Busbecq, Ogier [Ghislain de] is replaced by one to Lernutius, Janus, October 1, 1585 (p. 67)

XXXVIII from Gulielmius, Joannes is replaced by one to Jonston, John, Leiden, March 22, 1588 (p. 72)

XLV to Giselinus, Victor replaced by one to Schott, Andreas, July 7, 1582 (p. 82)

XLVI from Roeland, Gabriel is replaced by one to Pollio, Everhart, Leiden, August 8, 1581 (p. 83)

IL from L'Escluse, Charles de is replaced by one to Vivien, Jean, Leiden, 1584 (p. 86)

LIII from Muret, Marc-Antoine is replaced by another letter to him, Leiden, November 29, 1581 (p. 107)

LVII from Marnix, Philip is replaced by one to Burch, Adrian van der, Leiden, January 28, [1586] (p. 112)

LXVII to Egmond [Nieuwenburg], Cornelis van is replaced by one to Cujas, Jacques, Leiden, October 5, [1586] (p. 130)

LXIX to Dammius, Adrianus is replaced by one to Lydius, Martinus, Leiden, June 28, 1585 (p. 132)

LXXVI to Dunellus [Doneau], Hugues is replaced by one to Cujas, Jacques, Leiden, April 5, 1585 (p. 140)

LXXXIV from Pincaeus, Renatus is replaced by one to Canter, Theodor, Leiden April 5, 1585 (p. 152)

XCI from Dudith, Andreas is replaced by one to L'Escluse, Charles de, Leiden, October 26, n.y. (p. 165)

XCVI from Torrentius [Beken, van der], Laevinus is replaced  by one to Dousa, Janus, Leiden, September 1, 1585 (p. 172)

 

(Centuria II:)

Turnèbe, Adrien. [Leiden], March 16, [1585] (p. 189)

Giselinus, Victor. Leiden, May 18, 1581 (p. 190)

Thou, Jacques Auguste de. Leiden, February 11, 1586 (p. 191)

Villiers, Pierre de, the Younger. Leiden, April 1, 1586 (p. 192)

Corbinelli, Jacopo. Leiden, 1586 (p. 193)

Burch, Lambert van der. Leiden, January 16, 1586 (p. 194)

Raphelengien, François, the Younger. [Leiden], November 16, 1586 (p. 196)

Wilt, Hendrick van. [Leiden], April 16, 1586 (p. 197)

Lernutius, Janus. [Leiden], May 18, 1581 (p. 198)

Villiers, Pierre de. Leiden, April 1, 1586 (p. 200)

Groslot, Jérôme. Leiden, April 26, 1586 (p. 201)

Leoninus, Elbert. Oldenburg, October 7, 1586 (p. 201)

Dousa, Janus. [Oldenburg], October 5, 1586 (p. 203)

Hout, Jan van. Oldenburg, October 30, 1586 (p. 203)

Heurnius, Joannes. Emden, October 15, 1586 (p. 204)

Colvius, Petrus. [Oldenburg], October 7, 1586 (p. 207)

Pollio, Everart. February 27, [1589] (p. 207)

Junius, Franciscus. Leiden, [1588] (p. 209)

Lampsonius, Dominicus. June 19, 1587 (p. 210)

Leeuwius, Theodorus. January 2, 1587 (p. 213)

Cujas, Jacques. Leiden, March 16, 1587 (p. 213)

Lernutius, Janus. [Leiden], August 31, 1587 (p. 214)

Rosendael, Aemilius. Leiden, June 30, 1587 (p. 215)

Savaria, Adrianus. March 23, 1588 (p. 216)

Scaliger, Jusephus Justus. Leiden, April 21, 1588 (p. 217)

Regemorter, Petrus. Leiden, January 24, [1588] (p. 218)

Baudier, Dominique. May 5, 1587 (p. 219)

Clusius, Carolus [L'Ecluse, Charles de]. January 14, 1588 (p. 221)

Arcerius, Joannes. Leiden, January 13, 1588 (p. 222)

Stuck, Johann Wilhelm. August 22, 1590 (p. 223)

Mylius, Abraham. Leiden, June 1, [1585] (p. 224)

Plantin, Christoffel. Leiden, August 29, [1585] (p. 226)

Marcilius, Theodorus. Leiden, May 29, 1587 (p.227)

Melissus [Schade], Paul. Leiden, June 1, 1587 (p. 228)

Mercier, Josias. Leiden, September 22, 1587 (p. 229)

Duystius, Joannes. Leiden, June 1, 1587 (p. 230)

Gothofredus, Dionysius. Leiden, August 13, 1587 (p. 231)

Raphelengien, François, the Younger. Leiden, August 31, 1588 (p. 232)

Frischlin, Nicodemus. Leiden, January, 1587 (p. 234)

Nansius, Franciscus. May 31, 1586 (p. 235)

Ortelius, Abraham. July 6, 1587 (p. 236)

Dresser, Matthias. September 2, 1588 (p. 237)

Pollio, Everhart. September 2, 1588 (p. 237)

Alostanus, Petrus. April 2, 1587 (p. 239)

Montaigne, Michel de. Leiden, April 15, 1588 (p. 240)

Bernardi, Théodore. Leiden, February 28, n.y. (p. 241)

Leeuwius, Theodorus. Leiden, September 21, 1587 (p. 241)

Dousa, Janus (p. 243)

Scaliger, Josephus [Justus] to Vertunianus, Franciscus. Agen, May 31, n.y. (p. 243)

id. to Ferrier, Auger. Agen, July 6, n.y. (p. 244)

Mercuriale, Girolamo. September 2, 1588 (p. 247)

Culenius, Lambertus. July 22, [1587] (p. 248)

Regemorter, Petrus. September 20, [1588] (p. 249)

Lampsonius, Dominicus. Leiden, June 17, 1588 (p. 251)

Gruter, Janus. Leiden, August 31, [1587] (p. 252)

Raphelengien, François, the Younger. Leiden, April 26, 1588 (p. 254)

Lernutius, Janus. March 10, 1588 (p. 256)

Wilt, Hendrick van. Leiden, April 29, 1589 (p. 257)

Montaigne, Michel de. Leiden, August 30, [1588] (p. 258)

Gournay, Marie de. Leiden, [1589] (p. 259)

Dousa, Janus (p. 261)

Bourbon, Henri de. August 1, n.y. (p. 265)

Ortelius, Abraham. Leiden, December 10, 1588 (p. 265)

Pauw, Petrus. November 14, [1589] (p. 266)

Thou, Jacques Auguste de. Leiden, June 3, [1588] (p. 268)

Canter, Theodorus. Leiden, September 2, 1588 (p. 269)

Gonzales de Cunedo, Josè. Leiden, November 8, 1588 (p. 270)

L'Hopital, Michel Heurault de. September 3, n.y. (p. 272)

Raphelengien, François, the Younger. Leiden, October 29, 1588 (p. 273)

Brach, Pierre de. [1588] (p. 274)

Lernutius, Janus. September 9, 1588 (p. 275)

Leeuwius, Theodorus. Leiden, March 26, [1590] (p. 277)

Morel, Frédéric. Leiden, December 8, 1588 (p. 278)

Saravia, Adrianus. July 30, [1588] (p. 280)

Raphelengien, François, the Younger. [Leiden], November 8, [1588] (p. 281)

Hildesheim, Franciscus. Leiden, August 2, [1589] (p. 282)

Plantin, Christoffel. [June, 1589] (p. 283)

Raphelengien, François, the Younger. July 16, 1589 (p. 283)

Benci, Francesco. Leiden, August 31, 1588 (p. 284)

Tuning, Gerard. Leiden, November 27, [1587] (p. 285)

Canter, Theodorus. October 12, [1588] (p. 286)

Monau, Jacob. June 5, [1589] (p. 287)

Calvardus, Laevinus. August 16, 1589 (p. 288)

Baudier, Dominique. July 15, 1589(p. 289)

Forgách, Mihály. June 5, 1589 (p. 290)

Criep, Willem. Leiden, March 16, n.y. (p. 291)

Arcerius, Joannes. Leiden, August 20, 1589 (p. 292)

Casaubon, Isaac. Leiden, August 6, [1589] (p. 293)

Marnix, Philippe. Leiden, September 30, [1589] (p. 293)

Lampsonius, Dominicus. Leiden, August 14, 1589 (p. 294)

Raphelengien, François, the Younger. July 20, 1589 (p. 295)

Vosbergen, Casper. Leiden, August 20, 1589 (p. 296)

Chytraeus, Nathan. Leiden, March 15, 1590 (p. 297)

Lydius, Martinus. Leiden, March 16, [1590] (p. 298)

Gruter, Regnerus. Leiden, August 11, 1589 (p. 299)

Montaigne, Michel de. September 17, [1589] (p. 300)

Oudaert, Nicolas. November 9, 1589 (p. 300)

Blotius, Hugo. Leiden, March 15, [1590] (p. 301)

Reid, Everhart van. Leiden, February 18, 1590 (p. 302)

Browne, Lancelot. [1589] (p. 303)

 

Bound with: Justus Lipsius, Ad annales Cor. Taciti liber commentarius, which is the second part of Tacitus, Opera quae extant, Leiden, Ex Officina Plantiniana, 1595.

 

Born near Louvain in the town of Overlise, Justus Lipsius distinguished himself as a student of the classics first at the Jesuit college at Cologne and subsequently at the university in Louvain. Shortly after completing his studies, he published a precocious volume of Variae Lectiones (1569), a collection of philological observations on classical texts. Written in a polished Ciceronian style and dedicated to no less a figure than Cardinal Granvelle, chief minister of Philip II in the Low Countries, the volume quickly captured the attention not only of the powerful prelate but also of Europe's scholars.

This initial work had significant and lasting effects on Lipsius' career; the most immediate was his appointment as Latin secretary to Granvelle, who took the young man to Rome, where he was introduced to international power politics as well as to the treasures of Italian libraries, including the Vatican's. An equally significant result of the cardinal's patronage was the opportunity it afforded Lipsius to make the acquaintance of Marc-Antoine Muret, the French scholar who was perhaps the most famous Latinist of his age.

A recent convert to the anti-Ciceronian movement, Muret in turn made a convert of Lipsius. The first fruit of this interest was Lipsius' famous edition of Tacitus (1575), and its culmination was Politicorum libri sex (1589), a compilation of classical political wisdom directed explicitly at the social and religious crises of the sixteenth century. These works won him a reputation as a ‘politician', or student of prudentia, which was never equaled or corrected, at least in Italy, by the fame of his later works.

A corollary interest was the style and philosophy of Seneca. Lipsius' most famous and influential work, De constantia (1584), is a synthesis of Christianity and Stoic philosophy. The crowning achievement of his career are two studies of Stoicism, Manuductio ad stoicam philosophiam and its sequel Physiologia stoicorum (both 1604), and his monumental edition of Seneca (1605).

After two years in the service of the cardinal, Lipsius returned briefly to Leuven, only to leave again in 1571, apparently fearing the strife that had broken out anew between his countrymen and their Spanish rulers. He went to the Viennese court of Maximilian II, where he met such renowned literary figures as Ogier Busbecq, Joannes Sambucus, Joannes Crato, and Stephanus Pighius, who urged that he stay in Vienna. He was unable to find the kind of patronage for which he had hoped, however, and he moved on to Bohemia, Meissen, and Thuringia. While in Thuringia, news of continued turmoil in Brabant deterred his return home, so he secured a recommendation from the Protestant scholar Joachim Camerarius, whom he had met in Leipzig, and this led to an invitation from the Duke of Saxe-Weimar to serve as professor of history at the Lutheran University of Jena in 1572.

Popular among students, Lipsius aroused the jealousy of elder colleagues and the suspicion of Protestant authorities. In March 1574, he left Jena for Cologne and evidently made his peace with the Church. It was in Cologne that he wrote five books of Antiquae lectiones, which are almost exclusively concerned with an enthusiastic examination of Plautus. After a few months, Lipsius returned to Leuven, and in 1576 he proceeded to the degree of doctor of laws, an undertaking that has been ascribed to his association with Muret and an interest in jurisprudence derived from Tacitus. In addition to resuming his work on Tacitus during this brief residence in his homeland, he also published his important Quaestiones epistolicae (1575).

But Lipsius was not yet to find peace. In 1578, with the news of the victory of Don Juan of Austria at Gembloux, he again became apprehensive at the prospect of an invasion by Spanish troops. He fled Louvain, and Spanish soldiers did indeed ransack his deserted house, confiscating and destroying his books and papers. He took brief refuge in the Antwerp home of his friend and publisher, Christopher Plantin. Then, in 1579, he accepted the temporary position of professor of history and law at the Leiden University.

Notwithstanding its explicitly Calvinist make-up, Leiden was a remarkably open university in the beginning, and in Holland Lipsius found a haven from his home province for nearly thirteen years. While there he published his Electa (1580); his Satyra Menippaea: Somnium (1581); his Saturnalia (1582); his De Amphitheatro (1584); his De Amphitheatris quae extra Romam (1584); notes on Valerius Maximus, Seneca, and Velleius Paterculus; and his De recta pronuciatione Latinae Linguae (1586); as well as the major works on constancy and politics. It was there, also, that he delivered the lectures on letter-writing that later became Epistolica institutio of 1591.

By 1591, however, the atmosphere, if not the statutes, of Leiden had become more stridently Calvinist, and Lipsius returned to the southern provinces of the Low Countries, where he was again reconciled to the Catholic Church, largely through the good offices of his boyhood masters, the Jesuits, and he accepted the post of professor of Latin at Leuven. He remained in Leuven for the rest of his days, resisting numerous appeals from foreign courts and especially from Italian churchmen (cf. M. Laureys, ed., The World of Justus Lipsius: A Contribution Towards his Intellectual BiographyProceedings of a colloquium held under the auspices of the Belgian Historical Institute in Rome, Rome, 22-24 May 1997, Bruxelles, 1998, passim; and H.D.L. Vervliet, Lipsius' jeugd, 1547-1578: analecta voor een kritische biografie, in: “Mededelingen van de Koninklijke Vlaamsche Academie voor Wetenschappen, Letteren en Schone Kunsten van België, Klasse der Letteren”, 31/7, 1969, pp. 9-12).


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