Item #H27601 Notes of a Twelve Years' Voyage of Discovery in the First Six Books of the Eneis. James Henry.
Notes of a Twelve Years' Voyage of Discovery in the First Six Books of the Eneis
Notes of a Twelve Years' Voyage of Discovery in the First Six Books of the Eneis
Notes of a Twelve Years' Voyage of Discovery in the First Six Books of the Eneis
Notes of a Twelve Years' Voyage of Discovery in the First Six Books of the Eneis

Notes of a Twelve Years' Voyage of Discovery in the First Six Books of the Eneis

Dresden: Meinhold and Sons, 1853. First Printing. Hardcover. 8vo, half leather, good copy with recent cloth over spine, some rubbing and wear to boards, contents very good but a little foxed, bookplate of signature of Celtic scholar Robert Williams (1810-1881). Tall 8vo, xvi, 172, 130, 54, 98, 62, 70 (2) pp. Rare and important commentary, privately printed for distribution among the author's friends. Henry (1798-1876) was a Dublin physician who gave up his practice in 1841 to devote the rest of his life to the study of the Aeneid. It became an unhealthy obsession. For 12 years, accompanied by his wife and daughter, he wandered on foot throughout Europe hunting for manuscripts and rare edtions of Virgil. First his wife and then his daughter died during these travels. This volume sets forth the results of these researches and serves as a forerunner of Henry's commentary on the Aeneid published between 1873 and 1889. The gossipy preface is in itself a joy to read, including the curious chapter, "How I have been received by Virgilian editors and other learned men," wherein he writes of dealing with the notorious Librarian of the Vatican, Cardinal Mai, "In 1850 Cardinal Angelo Mai received me in Rome with perfect politeness and as perfect heartlessness; embraced me with both his arms, kissed me on both my cheeks, but, though Head Librarian of the Vatican, stirred no finger on my behalf; afforded me no facilities whatever for my investigations, etc." Sandys III, 436. Good. Item #H27601

Price: $200.00

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