VIRGILE Publii Virgilii Maronis Opera

Brunet, V, 1289.

A fine edition of Virgil's works, given by the royal printing house, which was installed at the time in the Galerie de Diane in the Louvre and directed by Sébastien Cramoisy.

The frontispiece – the finest of the 17th century according to Jeanne Duportal – features an engraving of Apollo crowning Virgil by Claude Melan after a drawing by Nicolas Poussin now in the Royal Collection at Windsor. This fine edition is also illustrated with 17 banderols and lettrines, as well as 7 culs-de-lampe and a full-page engraving at the end of the last unencumbered leaf.

John Evelyn (1620-1706) was one of the founders of the Royal Society. One of the most important bibliophiles and intellectuals of his time, he built up his important collection partly during his exile in Paris to escape the civil war of 1642-1651. The present copy was certainly purchased at that time. Evelyn was a major buyer at the Mazarin sale in 1650, and had most of his books embossed with griffins based on drawings by Abraham Bosse, accompanied by his motto Omnia explorate meliora retineti. On his return to London in 1652, his residence at Sayes Court shone as much for its library of almost 4,000 volumes as for its immense private garden. From 1660 onwards, John Evelyn was entrusted with many political responsibilities under the Restoration, as well as being a respected engraver and draughtsman.

Although most of his library and archives are now held by the British Library, some of them were auctioned by Christie's in eight sales in 1977 and 1978.

A fine copy, with minor restorations to the spines.

Provenance: John Evelyn (coat of arms and numeral) – Quaritch collation mark of Ted Dring).