Author: CRUSIUS (Lewis):
Title: The Lives of the Roman Poets. Containing A Critical and Historical Account of Them and their Writings, with large Quotations of their most celebrated Passages, as far as was necessary to compare and illustrate their several Excellencies, as well as to discover wherein they were deficient. To which is added, A Chronological Table, fitted to the Years before and after Christ, shewing the Times when they flourished and published their Works, and exhibiting the more remarkable Events coincident with them. Together with An Introduction concerning the Origin and Progress of Poetry in general; and an Essay on Dramatic Poetry in particular. The Third Edition.
Description: London: Printed for W. Innys...[et al], 1753 2 volumes. bound in 1. 12mo, 182 x 112 mms., pp. [vi],xxxvi, 296 [297 - 306 Index]; [ii], 329 [330 blank, 331 - 336 [sic, lacking last six leaves of Index], bound in boards (probably early 19th century, paper spine with paper label in ink; shaken in casing with most leaves loose or detached and inner binding of spine visible, but an interesting copy for the analytical bibliographer; with the autograph and date "J. E. Wilkinson" on the front paste-down end-paper, again on teh title-page, with earlier names makred through. A serviceable copy Lewis Crusius (1701 - 1775) is distinguished by this one important work, first published in 1726-1732; it was translated into German in by C. H. Schmid in 1777. The significance of Crusius' work lies first in the literary theory of the introductory essay, with its primitivistic account of the origin of poetry and the role of society in producing poetry and poets. In addition to the lives of various Roman poets (Lucretius, Tibullus, Virgil, Horace, Ovid, Phedrus, Lucan, etc.), Crusius concludes volume 2 with "A Critical and Historical Dissertation by way of Introduction to the Lives of the Roman Dramatic Poets" (Seneca, Plautus, Terence, etc.) and their biographies.

Keywords: poetry classics prose


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