4to, [4] leaves, 188 (numbered 186) pp., [6] leaves (last two blank). Printer's Pegasus device on title, ornamental initials. First Edition of this very rare exhaustive commentary on the Satires of Persius, including the text of Persius. The commentary is by the French scholar Antoine Fouquelin, who dedicates his work to Pierre Ramus. The Satires of Persius have always had the reputation of being quite obscure and difficult which explains why in this edition the text of the Satires is presented in short sections of a few verses each followed by several pages of commentary.
Fouquelin had been a student of Audomarus Talaeus (Omer Talon: ca. 1510-62) who was a friend and colleague of Petrus Ramus (Pierre de la Ramee: 1515-1572) to whom the present work is dedicated. The preface also is addressed to Ramus with references to his works and papers relevant to the work at hand; from 1551 Ramus was appointed regius professor philosophy and eloquence at the College de France where the author probably attended his courses.
"Partial dialectical summaries are common in commentary on orations, and in philosophical commentary, too, but missing from Ramus' commentary on poetry (Virgil), although Antoine Fouquelin introduced them in his commentaries on Persius. Similarly, dialectical and/or rhetorical summaries are appended to oratorical and other works. In some measure this is all recognized Renaissance schoolroom practice, undoubtedly effective in getting youngsters 'into' a text." (Ong, Ramus, method and the decay of dialogue pp. 266-267).
Morgan, Bibliography of Persius, 168; Cioranesco 10234; Adams F-733; Ong, Ramus, p. 381; se also Catalogus Translationum III, pp. 289f.
Donated by E. K. Schreiber Rare Books, New York, New York.