GROTIUS, Hugo.

Famous edition of the 'Aratus' by the 16-year old Grotius, illustrated by Jacques de Gheyn after the miniatures of a Carolingian codex owned by Grotius himself, Syntagma Arateorum: opus poeticae et astronomiae studiosis utilissimum: quo quae contineantur versa pagella indicabit.

      Ex Officinâ Plantinianâ, Christophorus Raphelengius, 1600., Leiden, - 4to. 19th century vellum, spine gilt with two red morocco title labels. With the printer's device of Christophorus Raphalengius on the title, one full-page, and one double-page engraved plates outside and 42 full-page astronomical engravings in the text, all by Jacques de Gheyn. (12), 42, 36, 94, 128, 24 pp. First edition of this early philological work by Hugo Grotius (1583-1649) written when he was only 16 years old. This is the slightly different second issue, without one word of the title: ". opus et astronomiae ." in stead of ". opus antiquitatis et astronomiae ." in the first issue. The 'Wunderkind' Hugo de Groot (Grotius) from Delft had studied in Leiden with the famous Professor J.J. Scaliger and it was under his direct influence that Grotius published this classical work by Aratos of Soloi (3rd c. BC), the Phainomena, on constellations and weathersigns, together with his scholarly notes on this and related texts. He did this on the basis of an illustrated Carolingian manuscript which he had recently acquired for his private library. This very important 9th century codex is now in the Leiden University Library, with the shelf-mark 'Ms. Voss.lat.qu.79'. At the same time Grotius asked one of the best engravers of the time, Jacques de Gheyn (1565-1629) to copy the plates on copper. Traces of this procedure in the codex are still visible today! The plates that were not present in the manuscript were copied from an edition of Hyginus, probalbly the 1549 edition which was present in Grotius's library.The Aratus text was translated, adapted and edited many times during the Middle Ages. The main texts available were: (1) the adaptation by Cicero (only fragments survive); (2) the text in the form of a poem by Avienus and (3) the most important version: the adapted poetical text ascribed to Germanicus, which text was in Grotius's Carolingian codex and was edited by Grotius in the main part of his work. Notwithstanding the early age of Grotius, his scholarly work and edition was used in all later editions and even still stands today.After the title, the contents on the verso of the title, the dedication to the States of Holland and Western Friesland, dated The Hague, 26 July 1600 (f. 2r-5v), the laudatory poem by Bonaventura Vulcanius (f. 6r), the 'Errata' (f. 6v), the Greek text of Aratus follows on p. 1-42. Then there is Grotius's translation of the Phainomena and Diosemeia with the fragments of the text by Cicero (p. 1-36), followed by the translaton by Germanicus - the main part -, together with the engraved plates by Jacques de Gheyn (p. 1-94). Furthermore the notes by Grotius: on the text by Germanicus (p. 1-49), on the illustrations, testifying of a profound knowledge of the classical and Arab languages (p. 50-71), on the Cicero fragments (p. 72-82), and on the translation by Avienus, together with Avienus's text (p. 83-124). This part is concluded by the edition of another text by Germanicus, 'Fragmentum Prognosticorum Germanici Caesaris" (p. 125-128). At the end follow other notes by Grotius on the Phaenomena en Diosemeia (p. 1-24). Good copy with ownership's entry of V.J.Vaillant written on title.- (Some browning throughout, title a bit soiled and frayed, double-page plate shaved). Ter Meulen-Diermanse 414; Bibl. Belgica G320; Wellcome 367; Rogge 376; Byvanck, 'De platen in de Aratea van Hugo de Groot', in: Meded. Kon. Ned. Ak. van Wet., Afd. Letterk., NR, 12 (1949), p. 169-235; Van Regteren Altena, Jacques de Gheyn , I, p. 44-5, II, p. 231-74, figs. 33-5; Hollstein VII, p. 119, nrs. 51-95; The New Hollstein, The De Gheyn family, Pt. 2, p. 126-42. nrs. 262-306 with illustr. of all plates of the original edition); Aratus, Facsimilé-ed. with comment. by B. Bischoff, B. Eastwood, Fl. Mütherich & P.F.J. Obbema (Luzern, Faks. Verlag, 1989). [Attributes: First Edition; Hard Cover]