1732 · London:
by LONGINUS & Zachary PEARCE (1690-1774).
London:: Jacob Tonson & John Watts, 1732., 1732. 8vo. xxviii, 301, [22] pp. Frontispiece portrait of Longinus engraved by Gerard Vandergucht after a painting by Louis Cheron, title-page printed in red and black, engraved head and tail-pieces and initials. Contemporary marbled calf, gilt-stamped spine and brown leather spine label, 5 raised bands; worn, especially front cover. Ownership signatures of Gertrude Dunn, and Timothy Murphy. RARE. Very good. First octavo edition of Pearce’s Latin translation of De Sublimitate Commentarius (first published in 4to. in 1724), alongside the original Greek, with his notes and commentary. Dibdin notes that the 1724 edition was published with no changes save paper size in 1732, 1734, 1752, and 1775. This first octavo edition is not to be confused with Henry Wetsten’s expanded Amsterdam edition of 1733, or Foulis’ 4to. Glasgow edition of 1763. "Bishop Pearce is rightly called by Harles, ‘Longini Sospitator.’ In the first elegant quarto edition he has presented us with the true text of his author, a new Latin version, and some elegant and erudite notes. The octavo editions, as above enumerated, were published for the sake of general circulation, and they have propagated universally the critical talents and fine taste of their editor" (Dibdin, pp. 177-178). REFERENCES: Dibdin, Thomas Frognall, An Introduction to the Knowledge of Rare and Valuable Editions of the Greek and Latin Classics, Vol. II, 4th ed., London: Printed for Harding and Lepard, and G.B. Whittaker, 1827.
(Inventory #: LLV1884)