Pœmata quae extant - Buchanan, George 1506-1582 (Amsterdam Wetsten, 1687)
George Buchanan was a Scottish historian, humanist scholar and Neolatine poet. He is also considered one of the monarchomachs, a school of Huguenot jurists who criticised absolute monarchy and elaborated a theory of tyrannicide or tyranticide on the basis of popular sovereignty.
Intresting title-page engraving depicting a medaillon with portrait of the author, one of the Muses (?Calliope, Muse of Epic Poetry), a harp, pan-flute and violin, a sater and a priest.
For mastery of the Latin language, Buchanan has seldom been surpassed by any modern writer. His style is not rigidly modelled on that of any classical author, but has a freshness and elasticity of its own. Hugh Trevor-Roper called him "by universal consent, the greatest Latin writer, whether in prose or in verse, in sixteenth century Europe". He wrote Latin as if it were his mother tongue. Buchanan also had a rich vein of poetical feeling, and much originality of thought. His translations of the Psalms and of the Greek plays are more than mere versions; his two tragedies, Baptistes and Jephthes, enjoyed a European reputation for academic excellence.
Contains amongst others Buchanans Psalms, Franciscanus, Epigrams, De Sphaera, tragedies (Esther, Baptistes)...
Ends with Latin translations of Euripides' classics Greek tragedies 'Medea' and 'Alceste'
G.C. Macanlay Rugby 1884 (manuscript)
Keywords: 16th Century (1501-1600); 17th Century (1601-1700); Poetry; Play (theater); Literature; Scotland