OF CODICES AND EDITIONS.

was expressed solely by the Colinaean and Basilean editions, while the latter [Aldine] was expressed by the Venetian edition via Scotus (1531) and the Gryphian editions, which are more numerous. Nor did I see anything innovated before Muretus, to whom that most learned man Tibullus owes not a little—and he would be thought to owe even more, had not Scaliger deprived him of his due praise. For in 1554, Tibullus was published by Paullus Manutius, or more truly repeated from the second Aldine edition, having been diligently corrected by Muretus, who at any rate employed one or two books, at least one which he calls his own. But from what I have gathered through diligent comparison, he had consulted old editions derived from the Venetian princeps, which, however, according to the custom of that century, he himself declares to be old codices; often also, when he recounts that others read [a passage] thus or thus, he must be thought to have brought forward not books (whether written or printed), but the corrections of learned men. *) Thus it was done, for example, in the place of Book I, Elegies 6, 3.

Achilles Statius, already famous at that time for having provided Catullus with learned commentaries, published Tibullus with commentaries in Venice in 1567. He followed the second Aldine, and I was often surprised that he barely mentioned Muretus by name, though he could not seem to attack him with abuse or disparagement. It is said, however, that when he had visited Italy, he lived with Muretus, and he could not have been ignorant of his merits regarding Tibullus. He had a good supply of books, for he used no fewer than ten. Certainly, one may see cited two Vatican manuscripts, one of which you may gather to have been very ancient from the note at I, 3, 34; the old book of good standing belonging to Guido Ascanius Sforza, the Cardinal; the book of Angelus Colotius, from which, however, as also from the Florentine book of the Library of Saint Lawrence and another old book, he seems to have had only excerpts; for he says nearly: in the book of Colotius, in the Florentine, in an old book, they affirm it was so, they testify; and we shall see shortly that a similar collation happened to Heinsius; furthermore, the book of Marcellus, the Supreme Pontiff; the Paduan [book]; and two of his own old books. He had also consulted others who had collated manuscripts. Not a few of his readings, as is understood by itself, agree with the Vatican [manuscripts] of Heinsius.