P. Terentii Afri Comoediae sex. Belgica interpretatione, ac notis ad loca difficiliora illustratae. Opera ac studio Henrici Zwaerdecroon.

Rotterdam (Rotterdami), Apud Petrum Waesbergium, 1648. Met Privilege voor 15 Iaren. Small 8vo. (VIII, including frontispiece) 607,(1 errata) p. Overlapping vellum 16 cm (Ref: Geerebaert 138,2,11; OiN 362; Schweiger 1082; Cupaiuolo 1312) (Details: Latin text with facing Dutch prose translation. At the end 50 pages with notes in Latin. Engraved frontispiece, executed by M.V.S. This is the Dutch engraver Mathias van Somer (also van Someren, or Sommeren). (See for him: Chr. Kramm, De levens en werken der Hollandsche en Vlaamsche kunstschilders (..), p. 1542) Depicted are 3 female allegoric figures round a pedestal, Veritas armed with a flaming sword, masked Simulatio, and Prudentia, who holds a mirror. In the background a portrait of Terentius within an oval laurel wreath. Zwaerdecroon is spelled on the frontispiece as Swaerdekroon. Woodcut coat of arms of the city of Rotterdam on the title.) (Condition: Vellum somewhat soiled; small bookplate on front pastedown) (Note: The late antique grammarian Aelius Donatus (4th century A.D) wrote not only a commentary on the plays of the Roman playwright Publius Terentius Afer, ca. 190-159 B.C., but also a short biography, in which he tells that Terentius was born in the Roman province Africa and that he came as a slave in the houshold of the senator Terentius Lucanus. He adopted his name when he was manumitted. Terentius is the author of 'fabulae palliatae', which means 'plays in Greek cloths'. He adapted Greek plays, especially those of the Greek playwright Menander, to the taste of the Romans. Six of his comedies have survived. For later generations he became a model for elegant Latin. His style was closer to everyday conversation than Plautus', an earlier contemporary comic playwright, whose style was more extravagant. He was quoted by Cicero, Horace, Persius and the Church Fathers. § Ever since antiquity he lived also a long and influential life in schools as a model for Latin language and rhetoric. In the Middle Ages he was read for his moral sentences. He was imitated by the German abbess Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim (ca. 935 - ca. 973) in her 'Dramenbuch', with which she wanted to create a Christian alternative for the pagan comedies. With the coming of humanism Terentius enjoyed a renaissance in the classroom and on stage. Scholars rejected the 'barbaries' of Medieval Latin and chose the elegance of Cicero and Terentius as their model. In his 'De ratione studii' (1511) the Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus, 1466-1536, encouraged the study of Terentius for his language and moral utility. 'Among Latin writers, who is more valuable as a standard of language than Terence? He is pure, concise, and closer to everyday speech and, by the very nature of his subject matter, is also congenial to youth'. (The Classical Tradition, 2010, p. 930) Erasmus published later in life, in 1532, an edition of Terentius' plays. His ideal as a humanist and pedagogue was the creation of better men with the help of the classics. He held the opinion that schoolboys should read Terentius over and over again. Thus they could master a pure Latin style, and learn at the same time good morals. Several Dutch humanists wrote 'Dialogi pueriles', fictitious dialogues to train schoolboys to converse in Latin; conversations which much Terentius in it. § The first Dutch translation of Terentius appeared in 1555 in Antwerp. Almost one century later 2 other new translation followed. In 1646 the remonstrant reverent Henricus Oosterhaern published a prose translation in Rotterdam. His translation is as literal as possible. His aim is didactic. He hopes that his readers will polish their speech and style when reading Terentius. His choice to translate literally leads often to awkward 'latinisms' in the Dutch text. (P.J.M. van Alphen, Nederlandse Terentius-vertalingen in de 16e en 17e eeuw, Tilburg 1954, p. 95-96). Two years later, in 1648, Rotterdam saw the next and more elegant prose translation, now by another remonstrant, the schoolmaster Henricus Zwaerdecroon, since 1634 Rector of the 'Schola Latina Erasmiana'. (NNBW 5.1182/83) In the dedication to his 'alumnus' Adrianus de Matenesse, Zwaerdecroon dwells on the diligence and enthousiasm he and other old schoolboys displayed while reading Terentius, be it not 'pede prorsus inoffenso'. (p. pi4 recto) On their request, Zwaerdecroon tells us, and because they are leaving for the university (ad graviora studia mox decessuri) he made this translation. Sometimes we find in the Dutch translation words or passages printed in italics. Those words and passages have been added to improve the Dutch, and to explain matters. (Van Alphen p. 97) Van Alphen gives the next example: Adelphoe, verse 495: 'una semper militiae et domi / fuimus'. Translation: 'ende zijn binnens lants (in tijt van vreede) ende (buyten s'lants) in den oorlog altijt by een geweest'. (We have placed the passages in italics between brackets) The edifying comedies of Terence were not only read by schoolboys. The Dutch philosopher Spinoza must also have studied his Terentius very thoroughly. In his work hundreds of quotations and borrowings from Terence can be traced. Spinoza used them to define and illustrate human feelings, weaknesses and passions. (F. Akkerman, Spinoza's tekort aan woorden, Leiden, 1977, p. 3) In the same year as this edition (1648) the Rotterdam printer Naeranus brought a translation only edition on the market. This translation was published again in 1668. Remains the question concerning the title page, why the coat of arms of the city of Rotterdam was used by Pieter Waesberge (Petrus Waesbergius) as a kind of printer's mark. Pieter Waesberghe was the official printer to the City's Council of Rotterdam. This book was very probably printed on the expense of the City, and for the City. Perhaps it was made especially for the local gymnasium. In the impressum on the title of this book we read 'Apud Petrum Waesbergium'. There exist copies of this book, same year, same place, everything the same, except for the impressum, which reads 'Ex Officina Waesbergii') (Provenance: On the front pastedown an oblong paper label 'Ex Bibliotheca P.P.C. Lammens'. Pierre Philippe Constant Lammens, 1762-1836, was librarian of the Unversity of Gent. He was also a bibliophile, and owned a huge library. The auction catalogue (1839/40) of his library consists of 4 volumes. In 1815 the Dutch government sent him to Paris to retrieve manuscripts and documents which had been stolen by the French during the occupation of the Low Countries. After 9 months he came back with two four horse carts laden with manuscripts. (Catalogue des livres rares et précieux de la Bibliothèque de feu Mr. Pierre-Philippe-Constant Lammens, Gent 1839, 1ère partie, p. 3) (Collation: pi4, A- 2P8) (Photographs on request)