Romainsche Historien van Titus Livius, sedert de bouwing van Romen tot aan d’ondergang van ’t Macedonische Rijk. Ten meestendeel van nieus vertaalt, en met een tweede decade, voor de gene, die verloren is, verrijkt, en op ontellijke plaatsen vermeerdert. Met een vervolg der Romainsche historien, strekkende van ’t einde van T. Livius tot aan de doot van C. Iulius Caesar; beneffens een kort, doch bondig Vertoog van de Staat der oude Romainen. Nieuwelijks uit de Romainsche Historie van M. Scipio Dupleix vertaalt, en met nieuwe Bladwyzers verrijkt.

Folio. 2 parts in 1: (LII, including frontispiece),622 (recte 620), (38 index) (2 blank); 198 (recte 194), (26) p. Vellum. 31.5 cm (Ref: STCN ppn 840918704; Geerebaert 115,3; OiN 242; Schweiger 2,548; Ebert 12138) (Details: Back with 7 raised bands. Brown morocco shield in second compartment. Both boards blind tooled. Blind stamped oval ornament in the center of both boards. The frontispiece depicts Jupiter, sitting on a flying eagle, and brandishing his thunderbolt; Jupiter is accompanied by Hera, Iris and 2 warriors; Iris holds a caduceus in her hand; in the foreground rests near a well Tiburinus, the personification and genius of the river Tiber; at his feet are playing Romulus and Remus, who he is told to have found on the border of his river, and the she-wolf Lupa. Woodcut ornament on the title. Woodcut initials. Numerous charming woodcuts in the text. Printed in 2 columns, and in Gothic type) (Condition: Vellum age tanned and slightly spotted. Some soiling of the frontispiece. Some small spots on the title) (Note: The Roman historian Titus Livius, 59 B.C. – 17 A.D, wrote a huge, and immensely influential history of Rome, ‘From the foundation of the City’ (Ab Urbe Condita libri) in 142 books. Of this work only 35 books are still extant. Of the rest remain only fragments and summaries. He ‘set himself to give Rome a history that in conception and style should be worthy of her imperial rise and greatness’ (OCD 2nd ed. p. 615). The later Roman historian Tacitus declared that Livy was ‘brilliant for eloquence and credibility’. (Annales 4.43) Livy was the source and model of many classical, medieval and later historians and writers, like Lucan for his ‘Civil War’, for Einhard’s biography of Charlemagne, for Petrarch’s ‘Africa’, for Shakespeare’s ‘Rape of Lucretia’ etc. Other humanist historians wrote the history of their state to equal what Livy had done for Rome. The English philosopher ‘Francis Bacon declared Livy the best historian, who provided models for behavior (Advancement of Learning, 1605)’ (The Classical Tradition, Cambr. Mass., 2010, p. 537) § The Dutch translator of this Livius of 1646 is Jan Hendriksz. Glazemaker, 1619/20-1682, who was a professional translator ánd glazier. (Glazemaker means glazier) If there were no texts to translate, Glazemaker worked as a glazier in the firm of his stepfather. He started his career translating popular literature, later he specialized in philosophy. He translated e.g. Descartes and Spinoza for the Dutch market. He mainly translated from Latin and French. His knowledge of Greek seems to have been insufficient to translate properly. So he must have used also Latin and French examples for his Greek authors. Choosing words to translate he was a purist, and always chose pure Dutch terms, so enriching the Dutch vocabulary. He was not a scholar, nor a humanist virtuoso. To make some money he had to translate a lot, and fast. His hastiness was the cause of some sloppiness. ‘In vertalingen uit het Latijn valt op dat Glazemaker nogal eens mistast bij pronominale verwijzingen. Ook moet men niet veel precisie verwachten bij zijn vertaling van tempus, modus en genus van werkwoordsvormen. Kleine woordjes als adverbia, partikels, coniuncties worden op de gis vertaald of weggelaten. (…) Meestal is zijn globale tekstbegrip zo groot dat geen verduistering van de strekking het gevolg is’. Glazemaker’s style seems unvarying. He aims at keeping the structure of the sentences as clear and simple as possible, which is said to be benificial to the reading pleasure, and to be good for global and rational clarity. (Glazemaker, 1682-1982, Catalogus bij een tentoonstelling over de vertaler Jan Hendriksz. Glazemaker, Amst., 1982, p. IX-XIII) § The translation is preceded by a 44 p. richly illustrated survey of the buildings of Rome, and of Roman customs and traditions. After the translation of the first ten books of Livy’s ‘Ab Urbe Condita’ Glazemaker has added, as replacement of the lost second decade (which cover 293-218 B.C.) a translation of the relevant part of the historical work of the French historian Scipion Dupleix (1569-1661). (S. Dupleix, ‘Histoire Romaine depuis la fondation de Rome’, 3 volumes, Paris, 1638-1643) At the end of Livy’s work, after p. 622, Glazemaker has added as continuation again a considerable part of Dupleix’ work. This part runs from from 167 B.C., when Livy ends, till the death of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C. The continuation starts on page 170 (chapitre 9, livre 20) in volume two of Dupleix’ ‘Histoire Romaine’. As a replacement of the the lost second decade Glazemaker offers his translation of the p. 643-717 (chapitre 5, livre 12 – livre XIII) of Dupleix’ historical work. § Glazemaker is not mentioned on the title-page. His name however occurs on the half title preceding the continuation of Dupleix. As the writer of the preface (Aan de lezer) tells the reader that he supplements lost parts of Livy with Dupleix, he cannot be any other than Glazemaker. (‘Doch wy hebben echter, om dit werk tot enige volmaaktheit te brengen, ’t geen, dat ons dienstigh was, uit de Romainsche Historie van M. Scipio Dupleix getrokken, te weten dat, ’t welk wy hier, in plaats van T. Livius tweede Decade, die door de ramp des tijts verloren is, ingevoegt hebben, en voorts het vervolg op onze schrijver, dat is van d’ondergang van ’t Macedonische rijk, tot aan de doot van C. Julius Cesar, door de voorgenoemde Dupleix’. p. *4 recto) (Collation: *4, *- 4*4, 5*6; A-Z6, Aa-Zz6, Aaa-Eee6, Fff-Lll4 (leaf Lll4 blank); A-H6; Aa-Ii6, Kk – Ll4. Irregular pagination in the first part between p. 404 & 407; irregular pagination in the second part between p. 96 and 101) (Photographs on request) (Heavy book, may require extra shipping costs)