Iulii Caesaris Scaligeri viri clarissimi Poemata in duas partes divisa. Pleraque omnia in publicum iam primum prodeunt; reliqua vero quam ante emendatius edita sunt. Sophoclis Aiax Lorarius, stylo Tragico a Josepho Scaligero Iulii F. translatus. Eiusdem epigrammata quaedam, tum Graeca tum Latina, cum quibusdam e Graeco versis. (Volume I)

8vo. (IV),663,(1 blank) p. Vellum. 18 cm (Ref: GLN-2523; USTC 450676; cf. Smitskamp’s ‘The Scaliger collection’ no. 146; Brunet 5,179; Graesse 6/289; Ebert 20452) (Details: Back with 4 raised bands. Woodcut printer’s mark on the title, depicting two men who are planting and watering young trees; above them, in a cloud, the divine Tetragrammaton, a 4-letter Hebrew word, the name of the biblical God of Israel, Yahweh. § Printed in italics. Volume 1 only, containing the poetry of Julius Caesar Scaliger: ‘Apiculae, p. 1; Nemesis, p. 59; Teretismata, ubi Satyrae, p. 76; Nova Epigrammata, p. 113; Farrago, p. 150; Thaumantia, p. 224; Arae Fracastoreae, p. 256; Nymphae indigenae, p. 272; Adamantij Catulli tumulus, p. 391; Heroes, p. 307; Archilochus, p. 329; Hipponax, p. 385; Sidera, p. 458; Lacrymae, p. 526; Aenigmata, p. 546; Urbes, p. 582; Logogriphi, p. 614; Manes Catulliani, p. 634. § Lacking the second volume with poetry of his son Josephus Justus Scaliger) (Condition: Vellum soiled and age-toned. Owner’s inscription on the front flyleaf. Old stamp on the title, depicting the Holy Cross, on which rests the Crown of thornes; the monogram C.S. is written across its standard. § A name erased on the title. Paper yellowing. On page 578 has been erased with black ink a 6 lines poem called ‘Fratres monachi, iterum’, 3 elegiac couplets directed against monks, who are compared to pigs. § Volume 1 only, containing the poetry of Julius Caesar Scaliger only, and lacking the second volume with poetry of his son Josephus Justus Scaliger) (Note: The greatest contribution of the classical scholar of Italian origin Julius Caesar Scaliger (Giulio Bordone della Scala), 1484-1558, to the history of classical scholarship is his brilliant son Josephus Justus Scaliger. In 1524 Julius Caesar Scaliger moved to France where he became physician to bishop Antonio della Rovere of Agen, and where his son Joseph Justus was born in 1540, the same year in which his ‘De causis linguae latinae libri tredecim’ was published. This book is among his most important philological works. § Scaliger published collections of his Neo-Latin poetry in 1533 and 1546. He considered the mastery of Latin composition not as a pastime, but as the scholar’s most valuable skill. In 1574 his son Josephus Justus produced a new edition of his father’s collected poetry during his stay at Geneva, where he took refuge because of the French wars of religion and St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre (1572). Here he delivered public lectures and tutored students, and met fellow humanists, Beza, Henricus Stephanus et alii, all interested in or writing Neo-Latin poetry.) (Provenance: On the front flyleaf: ‘Ad usum D. Romanus Merighij Camald.sis’. This is Don Romanus Merighius (Romano Merighi), born near Imola in 1658, head (procurator generalis) of the Camaldolese Order, the ‘Ordo Camaldulensium’, a monastic community that traces its lineage to a monastic movement begun by Saint Romuald. Their name is derived from the Holy Hermitage, Sacro Eremo, Camaldoli, near Arezzo. Because of the colour of their habit they are called ‘White Benedictines’. Romanus was a theologian, but he also earned fame as a prominent vernacular poet. He is known for the Idyll in Toscan ‘Nesso e Logilde’. He died in 1737. His portrait can be found via Google, search for “Porträtsammlung” and “ÖNB”, then Schnellsuche: “Merighi”. A useful article on Merighi in ‘Centifolium Camaldulense, Sive Notatia Scriptorum Camaldulensium’, by M. Ziegelbaur, Venice 1750, p. 69/71) (Collation: *4, a-z8, A-S8, T4 (leaf T4 verso blank)