| Record ID | cp011852 |
| Voet reference number | 1535A |
| Museum Plantin-Moretus | c:lvd:979487 |
| Author | Justus LIPSIUS (LIPS) |
| Title page transcription | IVSTI LIPSI ‖ DE CONSTANTIA ‖ LIBRI DVO, ‖ Qui alloquium præcipuè conti- ‖ nent in Publicis malis. ‖ ⊕ 45 ‖ LVGDVNI BATAVORVM. ‖ Ex officina Christophori Plantini. ‖ CIƆ. IƆ. LXXXIV. |
| Collation | 4º [166]: *-**⁴, A-Y⁴, [Z]; pages [1-16], 1-161, [162-180] |
| Fingerprint | |
| Number of sheets | |
| Pages | [1]: Title [2]: Blank [3-4]: Nobilibus…consulibus et senatui populoque Antverpiensi Iustus Lipsius dedico consecroque [5-8]: Ad lectorem de consilio meo scriptionis et fine (italic type, part in roman type) [9-14]: Latin poem by Ianus Dousa sr. (italic type, parts and marginals in roman type) [15]: Two Greek poems by B. Vulcanius [16]: Errata (roman type, italic type, and greek type) 1-161: Text (parts in italic type and greek type, marginals in roman type, italic type, and greek type) [162]: Ad Deum pro constantia preces. Fusae in gravi et diuturno meo morbo, anno ∞. IƆ. LXXIX. Aetatis meae XXXII. (italic type) [163-165]: Table (on two columns; italic type, parts in roman type) [166-178]: Poems by F. Duicius I.C., Carolus Rotcaesus, Adr. Blyenborg. Scobb., D. Baudius Insulensis (2nd of the two in Greek), I. Esychius, Ianus Gruterus, G.B. Harl., Ianus Douza filius, Franciscus Raphelengius filius, Theodorus Esychius Bremanus (italic type, parts in roman type and greek type) [179-180]: Blank |
| Edition information | |
| Copies | Museum Plantin-Moretus- A 302Leiden University Libraries- copy with manuscript notes by LipsiusBritish Library London |
| Digital copies | Museum Plantin-Moretus: A 302 |
| Bibliographical references | Bib. Belgica (1964–1970 éd.), III, pages 902-903 Not in Ruelens-de Backer A reprint was issued in 1965 |
| Online bibliographical references | |
| Note 1 | First edition of this famous treatise, which became a European best-seller: about 50 editions were published from 1584 till 1783, including translations into Dutch, French, German, Spanish, and Polish (Cf. BB, III, pages 902-918). |
| Note 2 | The book includes two dialogues (containing 22 and 26 chapters), in which Carolus Langius (who died on 29 July 1573), in a conversation with Lipsius, recommends constancy as a necessity in life's tribulations. In the introductory chapter it is stated that this meeting took place in Liège, in June 1571, when Lipsius visited some friends before leaving for Vienna. It may be accepted that Lipsius had at that time and place conversations with Langius, but it is clear that in fact not Langius but Lipsius is speaking: it is only a form of modesty from the author to pose as a modest pupil listening to the wise words of an older master and friend. |
| Note 3 | Lipsius's intention, as he declares himself in a letter to Livinus Torrentius (6 May 1584: Epistolarum centuria prima, no. 97), was to adapt the philosophy of the old classic masters to the 'christian verity', that is to make a synthesis in which the ideals of stoicism (in particular as exposed by Seneca) are reconciled with christianity. Cf. A.M. van de Bilt, Lipsius 'De Constantia en Seneca', Nijmegen - Utrecht, 1946; G. Oestreich, 'Justus Lipsius als Theoretiker des neuzeitlichen Machtstaates' in Historische Zeitschrift, 181, 1956, pages 35-37. |
| Note 4 | Lipsius was very proud of this book and considered it to be the work by which posterity would judge him (in a letter to Janus Lernutius, 10 February 1584; cf. also van de Bilt, pages 37-39). It received indeed an enthusiastic reception (cf. for the opinions of the contemporary scholars: van de Bilt, pages 39-44), but it also met criticism even from good friends as L. Torrentius (in a letter of 5 April 1584, the later bishop of Antwerp shows himself somewhat scandalized that heathen stoicism should be compared with christianity) and Dirk Coornhert (who did not agree with the exposition on the Fatum). The Inquisition too was not pleased with some parts of the De constantia, but it was only as late as 1667, that, in the Index librorum prohibitorum published in Madrid, the incriminated parts were detailed (after the 1605-edition) and explicitly condemned. Cf. the introduction by H. van Crombruggen in the Dutch re-edition of the De constantia, Antwerp, 1948. For the incriminated parts in the 1667-Index see also BB, III, page 903. |
| Note 5 | Lipsius planned a continuation to the De constantia, a second philosophical treatise, this time on constancy before death (Thrasea, sive de contemptu mortis), but the few contrary reactions to his first attempt made him cautious. On 29 August 1585 he wrote to Plantin that, although the Thrasea was already well advanced, he was not in a hurry to publish it: 'Nam de Thrasea (etsi bona pars jam parata) tardamus, offensiuncularum quarumdam metu' (Corr., VII, no. 1038). In fact, the Thrasea was never printed. Cf. also L. van der Essen - H.F. Bouchery, Waarom Justus Lipsius gevierd?, pages 61-62, n. 156. |
| Note 6 | Lipsius's De constantia influenced the French author, G. du Vair, and his Traité de la Constance et Consolation ès calamitez publiques, Paris, 1594. Cf. H. Glaesener, 'Juste Lipse et Guillaume du Vair' in Revue belge de Philologie et d'Histoire, 17, 1938, pages 27-42; van de Bilt, op. cit., pages 43-44. |
| Note 7 | The work was dedicated to the magistrates of the city of Antwerp. As a token of gratitude they voted on 3 November 1583 to present to the author a golden cup, worth 100 florins Carolus guilders; on 28 November 1583 was voted the gift of a cup of 50 florins Carolus guilders to Lipsius's wife (cf. BB, III, page 903). |
| Note 8 | The book was printed in the Officina Plantiniana in Leiden, but part of the edition received a title-page with Plantin's Antwerp imprint. |
| Note 9 | The title-page bears the date of 1584 but the printing must have been finished in 1583. In M 321, folio 7r, the edition is entered under the year 1583, and in M 296, folio 9v, 1583 is also given as the year of publication. On 25 July 1583 Ortelius wrote to Crato 'Plantinus hinc migravit Lugdunum Batavorum. Habet ibidem sub praelo Lipsii de Constantia (Suppl. Corr., no. 180). J. Moretus was already before 11 September 1583 working in Antwerp on a Dutch translation of the De constantia - and it may be assumed that he worked from a printed copy. The vote of the Antwerp magistrate on 3 November 1583 was in all probability a reaction on the presentation of a printed copy. On 19 December 1583 Philip Marnix van St. Aldegonde could write to the author that he had read the book and appreciated it very much (Lipsius, Epistolae quae in centuriis non extant, pages 137-138). |
| Note 10 | 'I. Lypsii constantia, in 4º' figures in the list of books printed by Plantin in Leiden, a copy of which he presented to the Leiden magistrate on 2 January 1585 (this copy lost; cf. E. Hulshoff Pol, 'Boucken op 't secreet. Plantijndrukken op het raadhuis te Leiden' in Leids Jaarboekje, 1972, page 93). |
| Note 11 | Listed in M 321, folio 7r (under the year 1583), and in Ms. 296, folio 9v (also with 1583 as year of publication): '4º, f[euilles] 24½, [price:] stuivers 7'. |
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