Fine Books & Manuscripts

SILIUS ITALICUS (12CE–101CE). The Second Punick War between Hannibal and the Romans… Translated by Thomas Ross. London: Tho. Roycroft for Jo. Martin, Ja. Allestry, and Tho. Dicas, 1661. 2 parts in one, large folio (432 x 267 mm). With final errata leaf. Title–page in red and black, additional engraved title–page, engraved portrait of Charles II by David Loggan facing the dedication, 20 engraved plates by Joseph Lamorlet, numerous woodcut initials and head–pieces. (Some dampstaining near plate corners, small scorch mark to both titles repaired). Modern half brown morocco antique, renewed endpapers, preserving both preliminary blanks (scuff mark to upper cover, occasional light marginal dampstaining to upper corner). Provenance: Richard Brookes (early signature on engraved title). FIRST EDITION IN ENGLISH of the Punica of Silius Italicus, translated into rhyming couplets by the poet and courtier Thomas Ross. “[It] is one the few works which, as far as we know, were evidently conceived, researched and written in the Southern Netherlands’ in the court in exile of Charles II” (Daemen–de Gelder and Vander Morten). Punica is the only known work of Silius Italicus, and, at 12,000 lines, is the longest surviving poem in Latin literature that was later admired by Milton, Dryden, Pope and Gibbon. Wing S3782. From the private library of a distinguished Chicago book collector.