CROCUS, Cornelius.

Neo-latin school drama written by the rector of the Amsterdam gymnasium Comoedia sarca cui titulus Joseph, ad Christianae iuventutis institutionem iuxta locos inventionis, veteremque artem, nunc primum & scripta & edita per Cr. Crocum Aemsterodami ludimagistrum.

      Strasbourg, Jacobus Iucundus (Frölich), 1542.. 8vo. 18th century sprinkled calf, spine gilt in compartments with title lettered in gold, gilt binding edges, marbled endpapers. With small printer's device (a swan) on title and half-page device on the recto of the last leaf of a swan playing the violin with a Latin poem for Jacobus Iucundus underneath; several interesting tail-pieces. 40 lvs.. Second Strasburg edition printed by Jacob Frölich (Jacobus Iucundus), who had published his first edition in 1537 on the basis of the first edition of this Latin School drama: Antwerpen, Johannes Graphaeus for Joh, Steelsius, 1536, following the first performance on 15 September 1535. Cornelius Crocus, born in Amsterdam ca. 1500, is one of the first and most important Neo-Latin poets and humanists of the Northern Netherlands. He was praised by the great scholar Erasmus for his brilliant and pure Latin. As the rector of the Amsterdam Gymnasium (1528-1549) he wrote several Neo-Latin dramas, of which this play ('Joseph') is the most important and best known. Many editions were published, a.o.: Antwerp 1536, 1539 and 1546, Paris, Chr. Weichel, 1537 and 1541, Cologne 1547. The play is about the victory gained by Charles V in Tunesia over the Turcs. Crocus created very clear characters including the Egyptian princess who had tried to seduce the Emperor.Dying to join the Jesuits, Crocus eventually left Amsterdam for Rome in 1549 where he arrived on foot in September. He was received with full honours by Ignatius of Loyola himself, but he died just a few weeks after becoming a Jesuit. Very fine copy with the bookplate of the Bibliotheque du Chateau des Ormes pasted to the verso of the front cover. Only one copy mentioned in the Dutch central catalogue (NCC): UL-Amsterdam.