4to. (XXIV including frontispiece),XCII,(4 index); 469,(57 index) p. Half vellum 25 cm (Ref: STCN ppn 186699948; Schweiger 2,812/3; Dibdin 2,335; Moss 2,495/6; Fabricius/Ernesti 2,423; Graesse 5,349: 'Bonne édition'; Ebert 17374) (Details: Early 20th century binding. Brown gilt morocco shield on the back. Title in red & black. Engraved printer's mark on the title, depicting a mole, flanked by a seating Hermes and Athena; the motto is: 'vulgo caeca vocor, video sed acutius ipso', 'By the crowd I am called blind; but I see better than itself'. The frontispiece is bound after the title, it is engraved by W. Jongman; on it we see on orator (Plinius) standing on a kind of pedestal; he is pronouncing his eulogy in the Senate in front of a statue of the emperor Trajanus; the senate is listening, and someone enters with a laurel wreath for the orator in his hand) (Condition: paper browning and browned) (Note: In 100 A.D. The Roman civilian administrator Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, or Pliny the Younger (61-112 A.D) was elected 'consul electus'. On the occasion of his entry on the position of consul Pliny pronounced in the Senate an eulogy to thank the emperor. This specimen of his eloquence survived, and is known as the 'Panegyricus'. In his speech he elaborated on all the admirable actions and good qualities of the emperor Trajanus. Pliny published also 9 books of literary letters, consisting of short essays, character sketches and sensible observations. The letters paint the high society of the young Roman empire. The tenth book contains Pliny's correspondence with the emperor Trajan. Pliny is famous for his description of the eruption of the Vesuvius on the 24th of August in 79 A.D. He was a nephew of the encyclopedist Pliny the Elder, who died, observing the eruption from afar, overcome by poisonous fumes. Pliny the Younger held under Trajanus a number of magistracies. In 111 or 112 he became governor of Bithynia. From here he was in constant correspondence with the Emperor. The Dutch scholar Johannes Arntzenius, 1702 - 1759, had experience with Panegyrics and late Latin. In 1733 he already had edited the Roman eulogist Aurelius Victor. Later in life, in 1753, he produced an edition of another Panegyricus, that of the late antique author Pacatus Drepanius. Arntzenius was professor of Eloquentia and Historia of the University at Franeker since 1743. (NNBW 1 179/80) (Provenance: Name on front flyleaf: 'J.W. Tellegen') (Collation: *-3*4 (first gathering: *1, *4 frontispiece, then *2 & *3, i.e. leaf pi1 of the STCN copy, the frontispiece, has been bound in our copy immediately after the title, leaf *1); 2*-3*4; (a) - (m)4; chi1, A-3V4 (minus blank leaf 3V4)) (Photographs on request)