Estienne, De Lipsii latinitate, Frankfurt, 1595, contemporary limp vellum

ESTIENNE, HENRI

De Lipsi latinitate (ut ipsimet antiquarii antiquarium Lipsii stylum indigitant) palaestra I. Frankfurt, 1595

8vo (157 x 94mm.), contemporary limp vellum, paper flaw at foot of I8, quires Y and Gg slightly dampstained, binding slightly defective and coming loose, lacking 2 pairs of alum-tawed ties

The peculiar Latin prose style of Justus Lipsius (1547-1606) caused comment and controversy both at the time and in later years. Henri Estienne (1528-1598), a great classical scholar with numerous and impressive publications to his name, produced this "wrestling exercise" aimed not so much at Lipsius as at his devoted followers who strictly imitated his un-Ciceronian and stilted prose. Lipsius became more influenced stylistically by Tacitus as a result of the political and religious upheavals of the later sixteenth century, in which the political prudence espoused by Cicero was superseded by the pragmatic realism of Tacitus's politics.

The later part of Estienne's dialogue, however, veers off the subject and expounds the need for a crusade against the Turks because of their threat to central Europe.

LITERATURE:

IA 165.498; Renouard, Estienne p.157; Schreiber 225; VD16 E 4017