Curtius Rufus Quintus Robert Codrington (2 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Fine. 2nd Edition. "NONE BUT ALEXANDER COULD PERFORM WHAT ALEXANDER HATH DONE": SCARCE 1661 EDITION IN ENGLISH OF QUINTUS CURTIUS RUFUS' LIFE AND DEATH OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT (CODRINGTON, Robert, translator). The Life and Death of Alexander the Great. In X. Books. London: E. Alsop and Robert Wood, 1661. Small quarto (6" x 7-1/2"), modern full brown calf, elaborately gilt-decorated spine, raised bands, black morocco spine label. Housed in a custom black linen slipcase. 1661 edition, the scarce second edition, of Robert Codrington's esteemed translation into English of this life of Alexander the Great, a splendid volume attractively bound in full calf. Curtius Rufus flourished in the first century C.E.; particulars of his life are unknown. His Historiarum Alexandri Magni "introduces a number of picturesque details which are grouped effectively; and the career of the great Macedonian is regarded as a series of brilliant and romantic adventures. There are a number of carefully finished speeches worked into the narrative and much sententious reflection. The style is evidently formed on that of Livy" (Peck, 449). Preceded by John Brende's 1553 first translation into English, which ran through a number of printings in the intervening century before Codrington undertook his new translation, "exactly conferred with the Original, and purged from many gross errors and absurdities, with which it before abounded." Codrington's translation first appeared in 1652 under a slightly different title (see Wing C7699). Title page with wood-cut engraved vignette, engraved headpieces and ornamental initials. Occasional mispagination toward the end as issued without loss of text. A superlative example, handsomely bound. Book *Bv1103. $4000. We specialize in rare Ayn Rand, as well as other legends and landmarks.

Hardcover. Brown leather boards with gilt lettering and design on the spine; [8], 305, 298-303, [1] pp. The Folger ID for this book is 144737. Pages are strangely numbered at the end, jumping from 299 to 308, but text is continuous. Good (Boards are lightly edgeworn/scuffed/smudged; title is mounted on an old restoration conservation; textblock edges are toned/scuffed/smudged; interior is toned, as expected, with a book this age, and has some foxing and smudging, with minimal marginalia; binding appears solid.).