8vo. (XXXII, including frontispiece),832,(176, index) p.; text-illustrations on 11 p. Vellum 22 cm (Ref: STCN ppn 238342476; Schweiger 2,302: 'vielfach verbesserte und bereicherte Ausgabe'; Dibdin 2,246: 'a very elaborate edition', 'It is in great repute'; Moss 2,320; cf. Ernesti/Fabricius I,107; Ebert 5273; Brunet 2,289; Spoelder p. 490, Amsterdam 9) (Details: Prize copy, including the printed prize. Back gilt. 6 thongs laced through both joints. Boards with gilt borders, gilt corner pieces and the gilt coat of arms of Amsterdam. Engraved frontispiece (dated 1794), executed by J. Visscher. Engraved printer's mark on the title, depicting Athena, motto: 'Tuta sub Aegide Pallas'. Small text engravings (portraits, illustrations) on 11 p.) (Condition: Vellum soiled. All 4 ties gone. Excellent paper) (Note: This is an edition with commentary of the only surviving complete work of the Roman historian Cornelius Nepos, ca. 100-24 B.C., 'De excellentibus ducibus exterrarum gentium'. He is the author of the first surviving ancient collection of biographies. 'De excellentibus etc.' contains the lives of 20 Greek generals, and the Carthaginians Hamilkar and Hannibal. The collection served probably as a model for Plutarch's 'Vitae Parallelae'. In his own days and in late antiquity Nepos was considered to be a source of importance. The churchfather Hieronymus, included him in his 'De viris illustribus' (392 A.D.) in his list of great authors and historians. Already in late antiquity this collection was ascribed to the grammarian Aemilius Probus, and the 'editio princeps' of 1471 bears his (Probus') name. The simple style of writing of Nepos has made him a standard choice for schools. The biographies provided the pupils also models of behaviour. Schweiger mentions numerous editions. This edition is a socalled 'Variorum' edition, an edition which contained everthing a student required. Such an edition offers the 'textus receptus' which is widely accepted, accompanied with the commentary and the annotations of specialists, taken from earlier useful, normative or renewing editions. Editions like these, 'cum notis Variorum', were useful, but never broke new ground. The production of this kind of editions was the specialty of Dutch scholars of the 17th and 18th century. The compilers seldom were great scholars, but often hard working schoolmasters. The Dutch schoolmaster who skillfully excerpted, compared and contrasted the material of brighter minds is in this case Augstinus van Staveren, 1704-1772, who was rector of the 'schola latina' at Leiden since 1750. Nevertheless he proudly announces in the preface that he also has consulted in his search for 'variantes lectiones' 4 manuscripts of the Library of the University of Leiden, and the collations of 2 English manuscripts. This second edition of Van Staveren's Nepos was published posthumously. In the short 'dedicatio' to the second edition, written by Carolus Antonius Wetstenius J.C., we read that Van Staveren, who was already halfway, asked him, short before his death to complete the second corrected and augmented edition. Van Staveren, whom he calls 'vir amicissimus' was once his teacher, Westein tells us. Van Staveren had already skipped 'quaedam, suaque non pauca', to prevent the book from being too overloaded. Van Staveren is known for this edition of Nepos, which saw several later reissues, and for his 'Auctores Mythographi Latini', which was published in 1742. Not much is known of Carolus Antonius Wetstein, 1742-1797. He was a Leyden lawyer and also an accomplished Neolatin poet. (Van der Aa 20,159) The bibliographers donot mention his involvement in the editing of his teacher's Nepos. The frontispiece, or rather the copper plate for this frontispiece, has a story of almost 150 years. It was first used in 1658, then 1675, 1687, 1704 (?), 1705, 1728, 1734, this book of 1773, and finally in 1793) (Provenance: The prize is for Henricus Oort: 'Ingenuo optimaeque spei adolescentulo Henrico Oort. Hoc virtutis ac diligentiae praemium in classe sexta nova decreverunt Ampliss. Dd. Coss. & Scholarchae Amstelaedamenses'. It is signed by the Rector R. van Ommeren, 29th of March, 1793. Young Henricus Oort, 1778-1849, received this book also for his diligence. That is what he was, diligent. He took holy orders in the 'Nederlandsch Hervormde Kerk' and worked tirelessly for his church. He was also a diligent member of all kind of Societies. (Van der Aa, 14,142)) (Collation: *-2*8, A-3R8) (Photographs on request)