Philosophical Works of Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Vol. 3

editions of the same which appeared in the fifteenth century. For, to omit the incredible number of editions comprising all of Seneca's works, which were eagerly brought forth within the two centuries after they were first produced by the printing press, the Epistles alone were printed twice in one and the same year, 1475, first at Rome, then at Paris: and even before that time they had appeared elsewhere, and indeed, it seems, in Germany, without the notation of year or place. Finally, since in those times it was not for everyone to purchase the entire work of the Epistles with their own money, those same Epistles were even reduced into an Epitome, and thus were typed again and again¹. Therefore, having long since wondered why, from those times down to our own age, no one had been found who had taken up the plan of editing the Epistles of Seneca separately, especially for the use of studious youth, I was affected with no common joy when, through the care and study of the most distinguished man Frid. Christ. Matthiæ, Rector and Professor of the Gymnasium at Frankfurt-on-the-Main, I learned from the Editor's own letters to me that what had long been my wish had been accomplished the previous year. When that edition, with the particular intent by a man most deservedly esteemed for all study of the humanities...

¹ Two editions of this kind are found lacking the notation of year and place; both, indeed, printed at Leipzig, as it appears: of which Panzer reviewed one, Ann. Typ. vol. IV, p. 192, and Frid. Christ. Matthiæ another, in a Program written last year (1808) for announcing the examinations of the Frankfurt Gymnasium, p. 8. Another edition was printed at Leipzig (Liptz) by Arnold of Cologne in the year of our salvation 1493: for knowledge of which I am indebted to the most distinguished Kopius, honorary professor at the Heidelberg Academy. Yet another appeared in the same place in 1497, of which Fabricius makes mention in Bibl. Lat. Finally, yet another, which I have at hand from the Schœpflin library, was printed in the same city (Liptz) by Jacob Thanner, in the year of God 1508. The format of the earlier editions is square; but the format of this last one, which I mentioned, is larger. All these editions, however, bear a title of this kind: Lucius Annaeus Seneca of Corduba, the greatest of Latin masters and instructor in an honest life (two most ancient editions more briefly: The most moral Annaeus Seneca) Book of Epistles to Lucilius on the way of living, illustrious and more precious than gold (the earlier ones added, and jasper). In all these editions, indeed, are contained the epitomes of only the first eighty-nine (or, by our way of counting, long since commonly accepted, only eighty-eight) Epistles.