Plutarchi Chaeronensis Omnium Quae Exstant Operum. Continens Vitas Parallelas. Cum Latina Interpretatione Cruserii, et Xylandri: et Doctorum Virorum notis: Et Libellis variantum Lectonum ex mss. Codd. diligenter collectarum: Er indicibus accuratiss. Eiusdem Plutarch Liber de Fluuiorum Montiumque nominibus, antehac non editus: cum versione et notis Maussaci. Accedit nunc primum Plutarchi Vita, ex ipso, et aliis utriusque linguae Scriptoribus, a Joan. Rualdo collecta digestaque. Eiusdem Rualdi Animaduersiones ad insignia Plutarchi [], siue lapsiones II. et LXX. Lutetiae Parisiorum, Typis Regiis, apud Societatem Graecarum Editionum, MDCXXIV [1624].
"A MAGNIFICENT EDITION OF PLUTARCH; IT IS AFTER THE PAGES OF THIS EDITION THAT THE TEXT OF PLUTARCH IS UNIVERSALLY CITED TO THIS DAY"
[Schreiber 284; Hoffman III, 173-174]
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A stunningly beautiful and very large folio set of the complete works of Plutarch, together with the first edition of Joannes Rualdus' celebrated work on the Life of Plutarch in which he recovered the name of Plutarch's wife, Timoxena, for the first time since antiquity, amongst other important discoveries.
This is a bilingual edition with the original Greek and Latin translation by Hermann Cruser and Wilhelm Xylander in parallel columns throughout. Brunet, in a rather uncommon fashion calls this set a "beautiful edition", "sought after" and scarce [Brunet IV, 733], and its difficult not to agree with the beauty of this set, particularly in these fantastic bindings.
This was published in two volumes but is here bound into four uniformly bound full calf folios - some truly beautiful contemporary bindings, probably French and circa 18th century.
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Size: 27.5 x 40 x 6 cm (approx., each)
Condition:
Some rubbing to spines with wear to heads of spines with some loss exposing sewn headcaps. Volume one lacks its tooled volume label with some loss to the title label, and volume four lacks both labels else the others are present and show well. Some discolouration at the foot of each spine. Gilt mostly present to spines with some dulling. Some rubbing to joints though with all boards securely attached, the bindings firm and without significant shelf lean. Some light superficial scuffs to the boards as typical with some slight loss to the top of the rear board of the third volume and some black lines across the rear board of the second volume. A few deeper scratches to the rear board of the first volume. The boards are generally very good however. Light shelf and edge wear with some minor loss to corners as typical. Bookplate to rear pastedown of each volume of William Adair, else without any further bookplates or ownership inscriptions. The text blocks are very clean throughout with minimal toning and are free of foxing. Top page edges dulled as typical with other edges very good. Some mild dampstaining which is very light and does not affect the legibility of any text. All four volumes collate as complete in their pagination though lack the two additional engraved frontispieces of Louis XIII and the French Chancellor, else complete including the index etc.
A superior set of this magnificent edition of Plutarch.
