Author: [Terence] Terentius Afer, Publius:
Title: Comoediae.
Description: Birminghamiae[Birmingham]: Johannis Baskerville, 1772. First Baskerville edition. Large 4to, pp. [ii], 364. Pp. 203 and 299 misnumbered as 303 and 283 respectively, as usual. Very light foxing at front and rear, very good. Contemporary marbled calf, plainly rebacked in slightly lighter Morocco, retaining label. A little rubbed but very good. Bookplate of David Lloyd to front paste-down, with ms addition of Edmund Henning Buxton, 8th Feb. 1823. Ex libris blindstamp of Derek Bair(?) Gibson to ffep. First Baskerville edition of Terence's 'Comedies'. It was printed on the better 'Writing Royal' paper of the Baskerville press, and sold for a Guinea. (A 12mo was also produced in the same year on cheaper paper.) Terence (d. 159 B.C.) was born into slavery at Carthage and brought to Rome, where he was freed, taking his old master's name. His six comedies, which stand out for their particular naturalistic style, were admired right through the Middle Ages for their moral arguments, and were still on school curricula in the nineteenth century. "Printed in the usually beautiful style of the impressions of ancient classical authors by this printer" (Dibdin). The popular typeface Monotype Baskerville, produced in 1923, was based on Baskerville's Great Primer type as it appeared in this edition (Pardoe, 'John Baskerville', p. 167). Terence (d. 159 B.C.) was born into slavery at Carthage and brought to Rome, where he was freed, taking his old master's name. His six comedies, which stand out for their particular naturalistic style, were admired right through the Middle Ages for their moral arguments, and were still on school curricula through the nineteenth century. Gaskell, 'Baskerville', * 46 (p. 58). ESTC T137489. Dibdin (4th edn.) II 477. Schweiger III 1070. Graesse VI.2 61. Brunet V 718.

Keywords: Early Printing (to c.1800, all subjects);Classics & Antiquity;Antiquarian


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