‎GRONOVIUS, J.F.‎
‎Observationum Libri III. Ad Wilhelmum A.F.P.N.W.P. Vandermaerium, IC.‎

‎Lugduni Batavorum (Leiden), Isaac Commelin, 1639. [24], 279, [21] pp. 12mo. Contemporary calf, spine richly gilt with label with gilt lettering, gilt stamped monogram in each of the compartments, red edges, small damage to foot of spine, corners bit bumped, gilt stamped arms and monogram of Jacques-Auguste de Thou and his second wife, Gasparde de La Chastre on both sides. Original edition, rare. Johann Friedrich Gronovius (the Latinized form of Gronow; September 8, 1611 - December 28, 1671) was a German classical scholar, librarian and critic.Born in Hamburg, he studied at several universities and travelled in England, France and Italy. In 1643, he was appointed professor of rhetoric and history at Deventer, and in 1658 to the Greek chair at Leiden as successor of Daniel Heinsius, whose lifelong friend he was and where he remained until his death. In 1665, Gronovius succeeded Antonius Thysius the Younger as the 6th Librarian of Leiden University.Gronovius edited and annotated Statius, Plautus, Plinius, Livy, Tacitus, Aulus Gellius and Seneca's tragedies, greatly adding to the improved understanding of those texts. In addition, he was the author of Commentarius de sestertiis (1643) and of an edition of Hugo Grotius's De jure belli et pacis (1660), amongst numerous other works. His Observationes contain a number of brilliant emendations. His son Jakob Gronovius was also a classical scholar.- Bookplate "Bibliotheque de Barante" on front pastedown. For the arms see Olivier, Hermal & Roton, 216, nos 8 and 9. After the death of De Thou in 1617, these arms continued to be used by his widow and his sons. See the Catalogie Bibl. Thunanae, ii, 329. Jacques Auguste de Thou was a lifelong servant of the French monarchy. He served Henry III, Henry IV, and Louis XIII in various capacities. He is best known for his Histoire de Son Temps, a history of France, his Latin poetry, and was a celebrated bibliophile. ‎

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