Books and Manuscripts

Plutarch
The Philosophie, commonlie called, the Morals Written by the learned Philosopher Plutarch of Chaeronea...
London: Arnold Hatfield, 1603. First edition in English. Folio. (viii), 1363, (1), (64) pp. Translated out of Greek into English by Philemon Holland. Woodcut allegorical head-piece at top of title-page, numerous woodcut initials and head- and tail-pieces in text. Full brown polished calf, stamped in blind, Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom stamped in gilt at center of front and rear board, rebacked, original spine laid down, orange morocco spine label, stamped in gilt, extremities rubbed and worn; all edges trimmed; sophisticated copy, with text made up of quires from two or more copies; contemporary ownership signature at top of title-page; scattered light soiling and dampstaining to text; margins of title-page and first leaf of dedication repaired; bottom corner of title-page repaired; loss in bottom corner, pp. 45/46, but not affecting text; small loss in bottom corner, pp. 1331/1332, but not affecting text; final leaf inlaid; scattered marginalia in pencil. ESTC S115981; not in Pforzheimer

First edition in English of Plutarch's compete Moralia, containing all of his surviving writings on ethical, religious, physical, political, and literary topics, in over 70 essays mainly in the form of dialogues. They not only gave a detailed look at the life of the ancient classical world, but also served as a literary model for European renaissance and enlightenment philosophers and writers.