L. Annaei Senecae Opera quae extant omnia, a Iusto Lipsio emendata et scholiis illustrata. Editio quarta, atque ab ultima Lipsi manu. Aucta Liberti Fromondi scholiis ad Quaestiones Naturales, & Ludum de morte Claudii Caesaris, quibus in hac editione accedunt eiusdem Liberti Fromondi ad Quaestiones Naturales excursus novi.

Antwerp (Antverpiae), Ex officina Plantiniana Balthasaris Moreti, 1652. Folio. (XVI),XXXVI,911,(1 blank) p.; portrait of Lipsius; engraved title; a bust of Seneca, and a plate of Seneca standing in a tub, both plates by C. Galle after Rubens. Calf 41 cm. (Ref: STCV: 6608951; Schweiger 2,902: 'Gesuchteste Ausgabe des Lipsius, aber nicht weiter als Wiederholung der von 1632'; Brunet 5,276/77: 'Édition estimée. Les 3 premières éditions, Antverpiae, ex off. Platiniana, 1605, 1615 et 1632 sont moins complètes.'; Dibdin 2,397: 'excellent notes of Lipsius'; Moss 2,578: 'it is certainly a very elegant publication'; Fabricius-Ernesti 2,115; Ebert 20860: 'Beste und gesuchteste der von Lipsius besorgten Ausg.'; Graesse 6/1, 348/49: 'très recherchée'; Spoelder 642, Middelburg 4) (Details: Prize copy, but lacking the prize. Gilt back with 7 raised bands, red morocco shield in the second compartment. Borders of both boards gilt, and with the coat of arms of Middelburg in the center. Portait of Lipsius engraved by Cornelius Galle. Engraved architectural title, the text of it is flanked by the statues of Greek philosopher Zeno, the founder of the Stoic school, whose doctrine of suicide as a 'reasonable exit' from life in response to incurable disease or inexorable pain Seneca accepted, and Zeno's pupil Cleanthes; in the upper frieze reside pictures of Hercules, Pallas and Ulysses, at the feet of Cleanthes and Zeno are the portraits of Seneca and Epictetus. The full page 'Seneca standing in his bath', is engraved by Cornelius Galle, and made after the famous painting of Rubens, 'the death of Seneca'. The full page portrait of Seneca was engraved after a drawing of Rubens. A smaller engraved portrait of Seneca, 11.5x13.5 cm, on page XXIV after the Italian scholar and antiquarian Fulvius Orsinus (imago quae a Fulvio quidem Ursino prodita est). Woodcut initials. § The 'Officina Plantiniana' issued 2 'Opera' editions of Seneca in 1652. This is the second issue, probably printed by Petrus III Bellerus for Balthasar Moretus. Bellerus printer's device is found on f. X6 verso and f. Y4 recto) (Condition: Binding somewhat scuffed and scratched. Front joint beginning to split. Head and tail of the spine chafed. Corners slightly bumped. The school prize has been removed. Edges of both flyleaves browning. Some leaves yellowing, a few are browning. Faint waterstain in the right margin of the last 6 gatherings) (Note: The Roman philosopher and politician Lucius Annaeus Seneca, ca. 4 BC - 65 AD, has ever since antiquity been controversial. He was 'attacked for his Latin style, his political compromises, and his wealth. (...) Seneca (...) devoted himself to philosophy, finally being charged with complicity in the conspiracy of Piso in 65. His suicide (ordered by Nero) is described by Tacitus (...). The death scene, 'imago vitae suae', 'the image of his life', has been a significant element in Seneca's influence on posterity. (...) His style was urgent, colourful and pointed, appropriate for the fragmented ethical and political ambiguities of his time, and it ultimately proved to be an effective vehicle for the Latin Church Fathers'. ('The classical tradition', Cambridige Mass., 2010, p. 873) By the 4th century Seneca's reputation, as an author and as a philosopher, had recovered. He is praised by Boethius (d. ca. 524), and has through the works of Cassiodorus (d. ca. 585) and Martin of Braga (d. ca. 579) influenced medieval and Renaissance philosophy. From the 13th century onward he was widely read, especially after the invention of printing. A Senecan Renaissance was advanced with the editions of Erasmus, who did much to improve the text. Seneca's reputation was further enhanced by the magnificent edition of his 'Opera', produced by the Flemish scholar Justus Lipsius, and published in 1605 by the Flemish 'Officina Plantiniana', lead by Balthasar Moretus. This edition and the later ones of 1615, 1632 and 1652 were adorned with elaborate title pages and portraits engraved by T. Galle and C. Galle. The worth of Lipsius' editions lies in the preface and commentary. 'His commentary, while economical by modern standards, was fuller than that by Erasmus. Lipsius died before he could finish his commentary on 'Quaestiones Naturales'. The first edition of Lipsius' Seneca (1605) included a commentary by M.A. Muretus (d. 1585), replaced by that of Libertus Fromond in later editions. The introductory paragraphs to each section of Seneca's prose were lucid, concise, and often enthusiastic. 'Legite iuvenes senesque!' is a frequent exhortation, typical of Lipsius' primary goal, which was to teach'. (Idem, p. 875) 'Moretus had been Lipsius' student, and he was a friend of Peter Paul Rubens whom he commissioned to design, for the 1615 edition and its successors, a portrait of Lipsius and two full-page engravings of Seneca, one of an ancient bust believed to be of Seneca, and owned by the artist, and the other of Seneca entering the bath in which he died. The latter engraving was related to Rubens's 1608 painting of Seneca's death, which further spread the fame of Seneca as a martyr to tyranny who died true to his philosophical principles'. (Idem, ibidem) § Justus Lipsius, the greatest Latin scholar of his time, came in 1579 to the recently founded University of Leyden (1575) to teach Latin. He resided there with great distinction as honorary Professor of History from 1579 till 1591. According to J.E. Sandys his greatest strength lies in textual criticism and exegesis. (J.E. Sandys, History of Classical Scholarship, N.Y., 1964, vol. 2, p. 303). Lipsius edited only Latin prose writers. He was not attracted to Latin verse. The 'Opera omnia' of this edition do not include Seneca's tragedies) (Collation: (*)-2*4, A-C6, A-4G6 (leaf 4G6 verso blank); leaf *1 portr. Lipsius, *2 engraved title, 2*3 Seneca in bath, 2*4 bust of Seneca) (Photographs on request) (Heavy book, may require extra shipping costs)