I.
| Record ID | cp011412 |
| Voet reference number | 2453 |
| Museum Plantin-Moretus | c:lvd:1024073 |
| Author | Publius VIRGILIUS MARO |
| Title page transcription | P. VIRGILIVS ‖ MARO, ‖ Et in eum Commentationes, & ‖ Paralipomena GERMANI ‖ VALENTIS GVELLII, PP. ‖ Eiusdem Virgilij Appendix, cum Josephi Scaligeri ‖ Commentariis & castigationibus. ‖ ⊕ 24 ‖ ANTVERPIÆ, ‖ Ex officina Christophori Plantini, ‖ Architypographi Regii. ‖ M.D.LXXV. |
| Collation | Folio [260]: *⁶, A⁴, B-Z⁶, a-z⁶, Aa-Gg⁶, **⁸; pages [1-12], 1-630, [631-648] (Errors: 21 for 31, 45 for 65, 134 for 144, 111 for 211) |
| Fingerprint | 157502 - # a1 *2 un : a2 *4 nd - # b1 A s : # b2 2G3 lato$th - # 1c1=1c2 2*3 $solicite - # 2c1 2a2 $à$me : # 2c2 2i2 ius$e |
| Number of sheets | 190 |
| Pages | [1]: Title [2]: Blank [3-5]: Ad Elisabetham Austriam augustam, Gall. reginam, tum in Galliam adventantem (italic type) [6-11]: Germanus Valens Guellius, Iano Vaesio, Iano Valenti Guellio, Germano Varadae suis S.P.D. (words in greek type) [12]: Privilege (Brussels, Privy Council, signed by I. De Langhe, and Council of Brabant, s. I. De Witte) 1-566: Text (parts in italic type and greek type) [567]-630: Paralipomena (on two columns; in roman type, italic type, and greek type) 630: approbation (s. Sebastianus Baer Delphius, Antwerp) [631]: Privilege (Vienna, 21 February 1565, s. Haller) [632]: Privilege (Avignon, 9 December 1574, s. Deneufville) [633-646]: Index (on four columns; italic type, parts in greek type) [646]: Errata (roman type and greek type) [647-648]: Blank |
| Edition information | |
| Copies | KU Leuven- Maurits Sabbe Library, P871/F° VERG 1575UNamur- R16C0013- R6C.0056 |
| Bibliographical references | Cockx-Indestege, E. Belgica typographica, 4704 |
| Online bibliographical references | STCV c:stcv:7093341 |
| Further reading |
II.
| Title page transcription | P. VIRGILII ‖ MARONIS ‖ APPENDIX, ‖ CVM IOSEPHI SCALIGERI ‖ COMMENTARIIS ET CASTIGATIONIBVS, ‖ AD CLARISS. VIRVM IACOBVM ‖ Cuiacium, Iuriscons. nostrȩ ætatis facilè principem. ‖ ⊕ 27 ‖ ANTVERPIÆ, ‖ Ex officina Christophori Plantini, Architypographi Regij. ‖ ANNO M.D.LXXV. |
| Collation | Folio [275]: aa-hh⁶, ii⁴; pages 1-98, [99-104] (Errors: 5 not numbered, 60 for 90) |
| Fingerprint | |
| Number of sheets | |
| Pages | [1]: Title [2]: Typographus lectori 3-4: Clariss. viro Iacobo Cuiacio iuriscos. Iosephus Scaliger Iulii Caesaris filius S.D. (Lyons, 22 August; italic type) [5]-35: Text (on two columns; marginals in italic type) 35-48: Variorum poetarum in Virgilii opera, et vitam (on two columns; parts in italic type and greek type, marginals in italic type) 49-98: Iosephi Scaligeri…notae…(on two columns; parts in italic type and greek type) [99-101]: Index (on four columns; italic type, parts in greek type) [102]: ANTVERPIÆ EXCVDEBAT CHRISTO- ‖ PHORVS PLANTINVS REGIVS ARCHI- ‖ TYPOGRAPHVS XV. CALENDAS IVLII. ‖ ANNO M.D.LXXV [103-104]: Blank |
| Edition information | |
| Copies | Museum Plantin-Moretus- A 292KBR Royal Library of BelgiumCambridgeGhent University LibraryMunicipal Library LyonsBiblioteca Nacional de EspañaVatican Apolstolic Library.KU Leuven- Maurits Sabbe Library, P871/F° VERG 1575 |
| Bibliographical references | Ruelens-de Backer, page 161 (1575, no. 19) D. Delacourcelle, 'Germain Vaillant de Guélis, Abbot of Paimpont (1516-1587)' in Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance. Travaux et Documents, 16, 1954, pages 336-361 |
| Online bibliographical references | |
| Note 1 | Edition of Virgilius in two volumes. The first and most important edited by Germanus Valens Guellius; the second an appendix with comments by Josephus Scaliger, announced on the title-page of the first volume, but presented as a separate publication. Both volumes were normally sold together. |
| Note 2 | The first volume contains the Bucolics, the Georgics, and the Aeneid, with large commentaries ('commentationes') accompanying the text (and interrupting it: each 10 to 20 lines of Virgilius's text are followed by substantial 'commentationes'; in these 'commentationes' special attention is given to the Greek influences on and the Greek sources of Virgilius), followed by the Paralipomena, additional notes and commentaries (pages 567-630). Edited by Germanus Valens Guellius or German Vaillant de Guélis (1516 - 15 September 1587), almoner to Catherine de' Medici (1552-1560), abbot of the Abbey of Paimpont (near Rennes) in 1554, counsellor of the Parliament of Paris, canon of Notre-Dame in Paris in 1563, canon and dean of St. Croix in Orléans in 1580, bishop of Orléans in 1586. Plantin in his letters addresses him generally as de Pimpont, Conseiller du Roy à Paris. |
| Note 3 | The second volume - the Appendix - contains in the edition of Josephus Scaliger the remaining smaller poems of Virgilius and some of other authors of his time (Culex, ad Octavium: pages [5]-8; Cereis, ad Messalinam: 8-13; Cornelii Severi Aetna: 13-18; Eiusdem Cor. Severi carmen in obitum M.T. Ciceronis ex libris de bello civili: 18-19; Moretum incerti auctoris: 19-20; Valerii Catonis dirae: 20-21; Virgilii catalecta: 21-23; Copa incerti auctoris: 23-24; C. Pedonis Albinovani in Maecenatis obitum elegeia: 24-25; Eiusdem C. Pedonis Albinovani elegia de morte Drusi Neronis: 25-29; Eiusdem Pedonis fragmentum de navigatione Drusi Germanici: 30; M. Annaei Lucani ad Calpurnium Pisonem panegyricum: 30-32; C. Petronii Arbitri de mutatione reipublicae Romanae: 32-35); a series of poems of classical authors on Virgilius and his works (Variorum poetarum in Virgilii opera, et vitam, praeconia cum maiore, quam ante hac accessione. Iosephus Scaliger Iulii Caes. F. auxi, supplevi, recensui. Omnia ex veteribus codicibus: Aut ex certissima coniectura: pages 35-48); Notes and comments on these works by J. Scaliger (pages 49-98). Reprint of the publication published by Gulielmus Rouillius (Rouillé) in Lyons, 1573 (cf. Baudrier, Bibliographie lyonnaise, 9, page 346). In the note 'Typographus lectori' (page [2]) Plantin explains how he added this Appendix [to the publication of the texts edited by Guellius] in order to bring together all the writings of Virgilius in one book ('Adiecimus huic editioni opuscula Maronis, emendata et explicata a doctissimo Iosepho Scaligero, ne quid a nobis desiderares, hoc est, ut tanti poëtae scripta omnia uno volumine a duobus Galliae luminibus illustrata haberes. Sed et paucula quaedam ex aliis auctoribus idoneis ab eodem Scaligero huc coniecta tibi damus, uti quidem Lugduni sunt edita; piaculum enim duximus ob elegantiam et exquisitam viri doctrinam bene cohaerentes eius commentarios quasi avulsos temere in publicum proferre. Bene vale'). From some letters of Plantin to de Pimpont, late 1574 and early 1575, it is, however, quite clear that the idea did not come from Plantin but that the publication was somewhat forced upon him by de Pimpont. |
| Note 4 | The printing of the publication did not go very smoothly (cf. also Delacourcelle, op. cit., pages 350-353). As early as March 1570 Plantin had accepted to print the manuscript (cf. the interesting letter to 'Monsieur de Pimpont', March 1570 [Corr., II, no. 221]: the typographer is very eager to print 'vostre cher enfant'; 'En quoy, très volontiers, je suivray totallement vostre ordonnance et volonté de vos amis, par l'advis et conseil de nostre amy Thorins [probably to be read Thorius, and to be identified with Franciscus Thorius, physician, humanist and poet; cf. Delacourcelle, op. cit., page 351], vers lequel aussi je ne veux estre veu ingrat de son labeur'; Plantin, however, is somewhat annoyed that he did yet not had received the manuscript, and that probably he would not receive if before his departure to the Frankfurt Fairs; the draft of his letter ends with a summary of the instructions of Thorins: 'Thorins escrit: La copie contient 541 pages et maints petits papiers insérés; la table est de 3 alphabets parfaicts, un latin, deux grecs, et 16 pièces contenants les [unes ?] deux, les autres 4 pagelles. Il y faut adjouxter la plus grande part de ma table sur le texte de Virgile. Toute lectre Rommaine, tant le texte que les commentaires in-folio, pages entières, comme le Virgile cum commentaries Servii, faict par Robert Etienne, 1532, et le tout ensemble, sans diviser les Bucoliques ni Géorgiques de l'Enéide. Et d'envoyer espreuve incontinent'). The reason why the manuscript did not had reached Antwerp is explained in a letter from Gilles Beys, Plantin's representative in Paris, to J. Moretus, 8 March 1570 (Corr., II, no. 222): 'J'ay receu la lectre de nostre maistre, du primier de mars, avec les incluses pour divers, lesquelles j'ay délivrées toutes, for que celle de Mons. Pimpontius Conseillier etc. à la cour de parlement, et ce suyvant l'advis et conseil de Mons. Thorins, lequel craignant que nostredict maistre ne mandict au susd. Mons. de Pimpont (par la lectre qu'il m'a envoyée pour luy bailler), comment il n'avoit pas encores receu la copie de son Virgile, laquelle il m'a baillée pour la vous envoyer, passé trois sepmaines, et ne l'ay encores envoyée, faulte de voicturiers, et avons toujours faict acroire audict Sr. de Pimpont vous l'avoir envoyée, qui est la cause que nous n'avons pas trouvé bon de luy bailler les lectres de nostre maistre. J'espère vous envoyer ladicte copie, par le premier voiturier qui partira de ceste ville, pour l'avoir par delà, devant le retour de nostre maistre de Francfort, et lors nostredict maistre luy pourra escrire ung petit mot, comme si vous eussiez reçeu ladicte copie, incontinent après son partement de Anvers pour Francfort, car aultrement ledict Seigneur s'en pourroit fascher et accuser Mons. Thorins et moy de négligence etc.…'. It is not clear if Plantin did write the letter G. Beys wanted so desperately, but his next epistle to the counsellor, 11 December 1570, shows that his eagerness to print the manuscript had waned considerably, as in a very diplomatic way he tried to postpone the printing (Corr., II, no. 257). In July 1571 Plantin had not yet started the enterprise, as he tells in a long and embarrassed letter to de Pimpont (Corr., II, no. 280): having heard that de Pimpont was quite angered by the delay and having to be in Paris for the marriage of his daughter (Catherina, who married Jean Gassen in Paris in June 1571), he had tried but in vain to obtain an audience; now, having returned to Antwerp, he tries in his letter to explain at great length what had happened: obtaining the approbatio and the privilege had cost much time; finally ready to put the work on the press, he did not receive the paper he had ordered, even after having written to Paris for new supplies; so, at the end, after a long delay he started printing on large and very expensive paper ('…sur le grand et coustageux papier, duquel avés veu les deux premières feilles qui valent plus que quatre de celles dont m'aviés prescit la grandeur'); the compositor worked for some days on the Bucolics but became ill and died, and Plantin, printing for the King of Spain the Polyglot Bible, did not receive the permission of the authorities that one of his other compositors should continue the Virgilius; sorrowful and ashamed he proposed to Thorins to have the work printed in Paris, but he was answered [by Thorins], at de Pimpont's express order, to send back the manuscript; Plantin, having to be in Paris for the marriage of his daughter, put the manuscript in a trunk with his clothes - but this trunk did not arrive [in time] at Paris, and Plantin to conclude bashfully 'je déclaray [at Paris, to Thorins, professor Denis Lambin, and others] assés combien il m'estoit non seulement desplaisant, mais aussi coustageux et dommageable, après avoir faict tant de cousts et d'appareils pour plus de 300 escus, de ne pouvoir poursuivre l'impression dudict livre, que je déclarois estre prest de faire imprimer par delà, à mes propres cousts et despens, ou d'y entrer pour la moictié ou d'en faire tout ainsi qu'il seroit trouvé le mieux pour vostre contentement…'. It is difficult to ascertain in as much Plantin is telling the truth and if he did not greatly exaggerate his plight. De Pimpont's reaction to the letter is also not known. In fact, nearly three years passed before Plantin took up the project again - in agreement with a de Pimpont, who seemed to have regained complete confidence in Plantin (cf. a letter of the counsellor to Pierre Daniel, 23 October 1574, quoted by Delacourcelle, op. cit., page 353). The printing started very likely in the summer of 1574 as Plantin, in a letter to Alexander Grapheus, 11 July 1574, enumerates the 'Commentaria doctiss. Valentis Gellii Pimpentii in Virgilii Opera in folio' among the many publications at that moment on his presses (Corr., IV, no. 541; the 'Commentarii Pimpontini in Vergilii opera' are likewise cited in a letter to S. Winandus Pighius, 15 October 1574: Ibidem, no. 570). Two interesting epistles to de Pimpont himself give information on the printing process. In the first, 28-31 October 1574 (Ibidem, no. 578), Plantin confirms that the printing is going on satisfactorily and will be finished within a few weeks, but adds that he had heard from Gilles Beys that de Pimpont intends to include 'quelques annotations de Monsr. Scaliger'. He is willing to print this additional part either at the beginning or at the end, but he warns that this will take much time as also for this new part an approbatio and a privilege have to be obtained before the text can be put on the presses; it is, consequently, necessary to hurry if the publication is to be presented at the next Frankfurt Fair. In fact, at that time, even parts of de Pimpont's own text did not have reached Plantin. As late as 21 January 1575 he acknowledges having received them, together with the 'observations of Scaliger' (Corr., IV, no. 606: 'J'ay receu hier vos Paralipomena avec la dedicatoire et preface de vostre oeuvre tresdocte et aussi les opuscules avec les observations de Scaliger et tout incontinent faict mectre la main a noter les pages de nostre impression a chaicun articles desdictes Paralipomena par celuy mesme de mes correcteurs a qui j'avois donné la charge de vostredicte oeuvre et d'en faire aussi l'Index, de sorte que j'espere maintenant de le parachever bien tost'). |
| Note 5 | In a letter to Franc. Mendez, 20 April 1575, Plantin lists the Virgilius among the publications he had completed (Corr., IV, no. 621), but according to the colophon of the Appendix the printing was actually finished on 17 June 1575. However, copies were already available some days before as '1 Virgilii op[er]a c[om]plet f⁰', worth 8 florins Carolus guilders, was included in the large shipment to the bookseller Pierre Boccangelino at Toledo (Suppl. Corr., no. 241). |
| Note 6 | Some other references to this publication in Plantin's correspondence: Corr., V, nos. 651 (in connection with a shipment to J. Moflin in Spain: on 9 September 1575 '1 Virgilius Pimpontii f⁰, [price:] florins Carolus guilders 3') and 677 (Pighius to Plantin, 23 November 1575: has found [in Xanten] on his return from Cologne the books sent by Plantin, including a 'Virgilius Germani Valentis'); Corr., VI, no. 811 (Michel Sonnius to Plantin, 3 October 1578: has ordered '50 Vergilius f⁰'). |
| Note 7 | Listed in M 296, folio 19v (Virgilii opera cum c[ommen] tariis Val. Pimpontii, f⁰, 1575, [price:] florins Carolus guilders 3 stuivers 5, f[euilles] -). |
| Further reading |