[SAUMAISE, CLAUDE.]

Historiae augustae scriptores VI. Aeius Spartianus, Vulcatius Gallicanus, Iulius Capitolinus, Trebellius Pollio, Aelius Lampridius, Flavius Vopiscus. Claudius Salmasius ex veteribus libris recensuit, et librum adiecit notarum ac emendationum. Quib. adiunc

      Parisiis, 1620. Folio, 3 parts in 1, pp. [12], 255, [41] index; 519, [81] index; 258, [22] index; large engraved vignette of a galleon on title-p., title printed in red and black, woodcut ornaments and initials; 18th century mottled calf, double-ruled border on covers, morocco label lettered in gilt on gilt-paneled spine, edges stained red; upper joint starting, but generally a very good, handsome copy. First edition of Salmasius' important recension of this collection of the lives of 30 Roman emperors, from Hadrian to Numerian, for which he used a 9th century manuscript written at Fulda and now preserved at Bamberg, a direct copy of the prime source held at the Vatican. Salmasius adds to his own copious notes those of Isaac Casaubon. Salmasius's notes display "not only massive erudition but massive good sense as well; his perception of the meaning of his author is commonly very acute and his corrections of the text are frequently highly felicitous" (EB-11). Claude de Saumaise (1588-1653) was a classical scholar who became professor at Leiden in 1631 taking the vacant chair last held by Scaliger. He was widely influential among his contemporaries but is best known for his polemic with Milton prompted by his Defensio regia pro Carolo I of 1649.