12mo. 3 parts in 1: (XXXII),239,(1 blank); 296 (recte 286); 250,(4 blank) p. Vellum 13 cm The best and most complete Horace edition of Heinsius (Ref: Willems 314: 'cette édition d'Horace est jolie, et les exemplaires bien conservés se vendent assez cher'; Schweiger 2,403: 'Beste Ausgabe von Heinsius. Sehr sauber, in vollständigen Exx. höchst selten; cf. Dibdin 2,97/98; Berghman 2069: 'Édition jolie et recherchée'; Rahir 285; Copinger 2396; Graesse 3,353; Ebert 10179) (Details: 5 thongs laced through the joints. Engraved main title in front, and 2 separate titles; the first, which is bound after the 32 preliminary leaves, bears the date 1628, the second title, which is bound at the beginning of the last volume, is dated 1629. Both titles bear identical woodcut printer's marks, they depict an old man who stands in the shade of a vine-entwined elmtree, thus symbolising the symbiotic relationship between scholar and publisher. The motto is enigmatic: 'Non solus' (not alone), probably indicating the interdependence of publisher and scholar. Our copy matches the copy of Willems, except that the last blank leaf is lacking) (Condition: Cover slightly soiled and scratched; name on the upper margin of the title; bookplate on the front pastedown) (Note: The works of the Roman poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus, 65-8 B.C., have enjoyed a continuous presence in European culture. His memorable phrases made him the most quoted ancient author. Till well into the 20th century he stood central in school curricula. Earlier, in the Middle Ages, he was next to Vergil the most important school author. Horace is transmitted in around 300 medieval manuscripts. The Renaissance saw the beginning of a flood of editions. 'For Neo-latin poetry until modern times, and for all the vernacular literature of Europe from the 16th through the 18th centuries, Horace provided the dominant model both for private lyrics celebrating wine and love and for public lyrics celebrating affairs of state'. Young poets used Horace to learn the trade. 'Horace's elegant rationalism and moral wisdom, and also his disabused and tolerant tone, made his poems favorite reading during the Enlightenment'. (The Classical Tradition, Cambr. Mass., 2010, p. 454/60) § The famous Dutch scholar and poet Daniel Heinsius, 1580-1655, was born in Ghent. He studied in Leyden and became there the favourite pupil of the genius J.J. Scaliger, whom he succeeded as professor of Greek after Scaliger's death in 1609. Sandys calls Heinsius' work on Greek authors, such as Hesiod and Aristotle better than his work on Latin authors. 'Nevertheless, his criticisms were highly praised by his contemporaries and by his immediate successors'. (Sandys, History of Classical scholarship, p. 314) Heinsius published his first edition of Horace, with his notes, in Leiden in 1612. It became a standard, and was influencial in Holland, France and Britain. This 3 volume set of 1629 is most sought after, because of the clear typography of the Elzevierbrothers, Heinsius useful 'animadversiones' and his masterpiece 'de satira Horatiana libri duo') (Provenance: The name of 'Rob Hesketh' on the title; a bookplate of 'Robert Hesketh esq.' & a small label of 'Rossal Hall Library' on the front pastedown. Both labels depict a corn sheath. This Robert Hesketh might be the Hesketh, 1789-1868, who was British consul in Rio de Janeiro, see the family site of J.J. Heath-Caldwell. The Hesketh family resided in Rossal Hall, in Lancashire) (Collation: *-2*8, A-P8 (leaf P8 blank); a-r8, s8 (minus s8 = blank); A-P8, Q8 (leaf Q6 & Q7 blank, minus Q8) (Photographs on request)