Selden Correspondence

Selden Correspondence
lettre que ie vous supplieray de voulloir accompagner de vostre
recommandaci›n de viue voix pour y faire suppleer et excuser mes
manquements. vous asseurant que si vous promettez pour moy quelque chose
vous nen serez pas mauuais garent si i’ay moyen de men acquitter, Estant tant
desuoüé comme ie suis a vostre seruice et de touts les gents de lettres et de
vertu. autant quil mest possible. Je vous supplie den faire ?estant et de me
commander librement pour vous et voz amys. Je vous enuoye vne couffre
d’inscriptions grecques desterrees en ce pays icy a fault de meilleur matiere
dentretien pour vne personne [f. 38v] de vostre sorte, en attendant quelquechose
de plus considerable et que par mon obeysance ie vous puisse faire voir que ie
suis tousiours et seray inuiolablement Mr vostre trez hum. et trez obt. sert. de
Peiresc a Aix ce 31 Mars 1636.
Selden supra 108 f. 155, Daniel Heinsius to Selden, Leiden, June 2, 1636
Amplissime vir,
Quantum tibi debeat cognatus hic noster, sæpe coram testatus est, sæpe
gratias eo nomine ingentes etiam nobis egit. Quod vt & ipse nunc facerem,
vehementer me rogauit. Nihil autem magis postulat rogatque, quam vt eundem
erga se animum conserues, nogociumque369 suum, quod cum commodo tuo fiat,
Reuerendiss. Archiepiscopo370 commendes. Quod & ipse a te petere audeo, qui
tantum tibi debeo, quantum persoluere non possum. Exercitationes nostras in
Nouum Fœdus ad finem producta sunt. Scriptum tuum371 omnia hic ingenia
commouit. Quisque sua interesse existimat, vt aliquid scire videatur. Dum
nemo respondet, aliquoties excusum hic prodijt. Editionem Elzevirij accepisse
te iam arbitror. Vale meum decus.
Lugd. Bat. Ano MDCXXXVI. postrid. Cal. Jun.
Amplitud. Tuæ devotiss.
Daniel Heinsius
Selden supra 108 f. 76 The Elzeviers to Selden, Leiden, June 27, 1636372
Laus deo In Leyde ce 27e Juin 1636
Monsieur
Auÿant la comodite du porteur de ceste je naÿ volu mancker de vous
envoÿer vostre Traicte de mare clausum l’esquel nous auons Imprime373, non
369
sic quite clearly for “negotium”.
Until the identity of the “cognatus” is known, it remains uncertain whether this is Ussher
or Laud.
371
Mare Clausum, which is certainly also the subject of the “Editio Elzevirii” below.
372
Inaccurately printed by Peter J. Lucas, Quaerendo 31, 2001, p. 136.
373
On the three Dutch editions of Mare Clausum in 1636 see Lucas, art. cit. p. 125. Curiously,
the only one of these that Selden appears to have possessed at his death (now in the library
as 8° S 2 Art.Seld [and so already in Hyde’s 1674 catalogue]) is the fake London edition: there
is no trace of the Elzevir one.
370
103
Selden Correspondence
pour vous donner quelque Mescontentement car j’espere que le Trouverez au
contraire, ce n’a pas este aussi pour faire du dommage a l’imprimeur car nous
avions escrite a Londres pour auoir 25 ou 50 exemplaires de vôstre Impression
in folio mais n’avons sceu auoir vn exemplaire et le pris a esté sÿ excessif que
les gens doctes n’ont seu auoir des exemplaires a leur contentement, et m’ont
pressé pour faire l’impression que je vous envoÿe, d’auantage je serois bien
d’auis de remprimer aueque le Temps, le Traicte de dis sÿris374, sÿ auez obserue
en nostre edition quelques faultes ou changements necessaires, il vous plaira de
me l’envoÿer ou sÿ auez quelque aultre Traicte en Latin que desirez que nous
faisons ?faire nostre Imprimeur, nous ne manckerons de vous seruir en Tout ce
que nous sera possible, je fineraÿ ceste aueque nos humbles Recomandations
priant dieu
Monsieur vous Maintenir en sa saincte Garde
Vostres Treshumbles et affectionez serviteurs
B. & A. Elzeuirs
[addressed:] A Monsieur Monsieur J. Selden: A Londres
aueque Vn ?pacqete
Selden supra 108 f. 82 William Watts375, Northampton, July 11, 1636 to Selden
(at Wrest)
Noble S.r
I haue finished your excellentlye learned Mare Clausum376, about a fortnight
since: wch but for the rayny weather, I had then brought unto you. I feare I
haue left you faults enow, to exercise your patience wth: wch in a worcke, of this
various multiplicitye of learning, & that in a subject so farre different, so much
beyond the middle-sorted capacityes of the gayer Readers; I knowe you were
provyded to expect from me. your best helpe wilbe, that I haue left you space
enough for enterlyning. The translated Syllabus of the Chapters, agrees not
verbatim, I beleeve, with the contents written ouer euerye Chapter. That
therefore may be cast away: & when you shall haue corrected what you please
in them, I shall drawe the Syllabus anew out of the printed Sheetes. your
Epistle to the King, I thought not fitt for me to translate; & the Preface, I
remember, you had begunne your selfe. those therefore I haue not meddled with.
If you please, there may be a Table drawne, when the Booke is neere wrought
off. About the Terme, I hope God allmightye will grant us libertye to meete
agayne in London:
Till when I rest
374
This was apparently planned, according to Daniel Heinsius’ letter later this year (below), but
not, to my knowledge, carried out.
375
Watts edited Matthew Paris with Selden’s help in 1640 (see Toomer, John Selden p. 345 ff.).
In that book (Glossarium at end of Vitæ duorum Offarum, dated 1639, p. 268) referring to Mare
Clausum, Watts adds “quod ego Anglice ante triennium verti”.
376
This translation of Mare Clausum seems to have utterly vanished: it was certainly never
printed.
104