4to. (VII),(1 blank) p; 1924 (recte 1926) columns, (1 blank) p.; (74 index) p., (2 blank) p.;106 (recte 74) columns. Overlapping vellum 26 cm (Ref: Schweiger 2,1297; Graesse 1,250; Ebert 8793; Brunet 1,548/49) (Details: 7 thongs laced through the joints. The title page has woodcut architectural borders filled with floral motives and human figures, 2 reading men are flanking the title on each side, at the foot two naked athletes, at the top a tympanon. Woocut printer's device on the title, depicting an kind of Nehustan anchor, held by 2 hands emerging from a cloud; around the upperpart of the anchor coils a snake) (Condition: Vellum age tanned and somewhat soiled. Front flyleaf gone. Title page dustsoiled and slightly thumbed. Paper yellowing) (Note: This collection of works of ancient Latin grammarians of 1602 is a reissue of an edition which was published in 1585 in Geneva by the French scholar Dionysius Gothofredus, or Denis Godefroy, 1549-1622. It contains works of great importance in the history of linguistic studies. During the Renaissance a renewal of interest in Latin grammar occurred. Language theory became a linguistic research subject. Medieval vocabulary and terminology, and sloppy grammar were rejected, and the primary of the Latin of the classical period was reasserted. This process was stimulated by the gradual rediscovery of previously unknown texts of classical authors, among whom Varro's 'de lingua Latina', with which this collection opens, was one of the most important. § Dionysius Gothofredus is best known as the editor of the monumental 'Corpus iuris civilis', Lyon 1583, an edition with commentary of the complete collection of fundamental works in Roman jurisprudence (Digest, Institutions, Codex, Novellae) issued on order of the emperor Justinian at the beginning of the sixth century. Gothofredus' edition made history. He did not only coin the title 'Corpus Juris Civilis', but it was issued more than 50 times, with or without commentary and glossae. Gothofredus studied law at Louvain, Cologne, and Heidelberg, and then returned to Paris, his hometown, to work as a solicitor. But being protestant he had however to leave France in 1579, escaping civil war and persecution, and fled to Geneva. There he was professor of Roman law for the next ten years. In 1589 he was called back by king Henry IV, but the next year he had to flee the country again. His house and library were plundered. In 1590 he took refuge in Basle. In 1591 he accepted a professorship of Roman law in Strassburg. From there he moved in 1604 to the university of Heidelberg, where he became head of the faculty of law. Gothofredus also worked on classical authors such as Cicero and Seneca and the ancient Latinn grammarians, and on ancient history. § The edition contains: Varro's 'De lingua Latina', Verrius Flaccus' 'Fragmenta', Festus, Nonius Marcellinus, Fulgentius Placiades, Isidorus' 'Libri XX Originum', 'Ex veteribus grammaticis, qui de proprietate & differentiis scripserunt', 'Vetus kalendarium Romanum', 'De nominibus & praenominibus Romanorum', 'Varii auctores qui de Notis scripserunt', 'Notae Dionysii Gothofredi ad Varronem, Festum, Nonium & Isidorum', 'Variae lectiones in Fulgentium & Isidorum', 'Liber glossarum ex variis glossariis, quae sub Isidori nomine circumferuntur collectus', 'Excerpta Pythoeana ex veteribus glossis', and 'Excerpta differentiarum Bongarsii Regii legati') (Provenance: On the front pastedown in old ink: 'Ex Bibliotheca W. Klerk') (Collation: §4 (leaf §4 verso blank), A-3B8,3C4,3D-3T8 (leaf 3T8 blank), 4A-4B8, 4C4) (Photographs on request)