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'All my books in foreign tonguesâ
The Oriental Bequest of Joseph Scaliger and the University Library of Leiden
Series: - Library of the Written Word, Volume: 132
- Library of the Written Word - The Handpress World, Volume: 132
Author:
Translator:
In 1609, the renowned scholar Joseph Scaliger (1540â1609) bequeathed âall my books in foreign tonguesâ to the library of Leiden University. Scaliger's gift marked the foundation of the extensive Oriental collections in Leiden. How and why did Scaliger collect these rare and precious books? The books and manuscripts, printed and written in Hebrew, Arabic, Ethiopian, Armenian, Russian, and other non-western languages, were kept separate from the rest of the collection of Leiden University Library in an ornamental cupboard: the Arca Scaligerana.
This study offers the first systematic exploration of the printed books in Scaligerâs bequest. The books remain extant in Leiden University Library, albeit spread across the collection. By reconstructing the collection, we gain a deeper understanding of Scaliger's extensive scholarly network, the development of oriental philology, the early modern book trade, and the early modern use of catalogues and the development of libraries.
This study offers the first systematic exploration of the printed books in Scaligerâs bequest. The books remain extant in Leiden University Library, albeit spread across the collection. By reconstructing the collection, we gain a deeper understanding of Scaliger's extensive scholarly network, the development of oriental philology, the early modern book trade, and the early modern use of catalogues and the development of libraries.
Kasper van Ommen is curator of early printed and rare books and coordinator of the Scaliger Institute, a special collections research centre, at Leiden University Libraries. In 2020 he defended his doctoral thesis on Scaligerâs oriental bequest in Leiden University Library.
Acknowledgments
Translator's Note
List of Figures and Tables
Introduction
â1âNew Research on Scaligerâs Bequest
â2âThe Importance of Oriental Books in Early Modern Europe
â3âThe First Contemporary Description of the Bequest
â4âThe Project
1 A Life in Two Parts: Scaliger and His Collection before and after 1593
â1âScaligerâs Move to Leiden
â2âPush and Pull Factors
â3âLeiden University and the Study of Hebrew
â4âCorrespondence and the Republic of Letters
â5âThe Printing House of Plantin and Raphelengius in Leiden
â6âThe Importance of Good Books and Good Libraries
2 Scaliger as Scholar and Collector in France, 1552â1593
â1âScaliger the Philologist: Learning Greek and Oriental Languages
â2âPostelâs Influence on Scaliger
â3âParis: Scaligerâs First Hebrew Books
â4âThe Production and Sale of Oriental Books
â5âScaligerâs Journey to Italy with Chasteigner de la Roche-Posay
â6âThe Influence of Cujas on Scaliger
â7âRefuge in Geneva
â8âTouraine: Exile without a Library
â9âA Fragmented Library
â10âMastering Arabic
â11âMultilingual Ambitions
3 Supplying Scaliger with Books
â1âThe Context of Scaligerâs French Network
â2âDe Thou and the Bibliothèque Royale
â3âClaude Dupuy as Supplier of Oriental Books
â4âDupuy and Pinelli
â5âA Fellow Protestant in Paris: Pierre Pithou
â6âGuy Lefèvre de la Boderie and Other Suppliers of Books
â7âNicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc and the Samaritan Language
â8âScaliger and Mitalerius
â9âBooks from Jean Hurault de Boistailléâs Library in Scaligerâs Bequest
4 Scaliger in Leiden, 1593â1609
â1âTransporting Scaligerâs Books to Leiden
â2âScaligerâs âOriental Catalogueâ of ca. 1600
â3âBooks Left Behind in France
â4âScaligerâs Network in Leiden
â5âNew Contacts in the Leiden Network: Casaubon, Bongars and Commelin
â6âThe Operation of a Trade Network in Practice
â7âScaliger and Daniël van der Meulen
â8âSupplying Arabic Books: Chasteigner in Rome and the Tipographia Medicea Orientale
â9âGifts from around Europe
â10âThe Brothers Labbaeus, Fellow Bibliophiles
â11âScaligerâs Books in Rare Exotic Languages, from Slavic to Chinese
5 Expanding the University Library: a Will, a Bequest and an Auction Catalogue
â1âThe University Library of Leiden before Scaligerâs Arrival
â2âThe Oriental Books of the Court of Holland
â3âScaligerâs Death
â4âScaligerâs Will
â5âThe Auction Catalogue of 1609
â6âScaligerâs Oriental Bequest
â7âHeinsius and the Arca Scaligerana
â8âThe Placement of the Arca Scaligerana in Leiden University Library
â9âThe Legacy of Scaligerâs Bequest
6 Scaligerâs Bequest in the Leiden University Library Catalogues
â1âThe Catalogue of Vulcanius
â2âLibrary Catalogues before 1612
â3âCataloguing Scaligerâs Bequest: the Printed Library Catalogue of 1612
â4âThe Catalogue of 1623
â5âThe Catalogue of 1640
â6âThe Catalogue of 1674
â7âThe Catalogue of 1716
â8âConclusion
7 Oriental Collecting in Context
â1âPrivate Collecting in the Early Dutch Republic and Its Neighbours
â2âOriental Books in Sixteenth-Century Scholarly Libraries
â3âOriental Collections outside the Dutch Republic
â4âBurnettâs Canon
â5âThe Auction Catalogue of Johannes Drusius Senior (1616)
â6âThe Auction Catalogue of Franciscus (I) Raphelengius (1626)
â7âIsaac Casaubonâs Oriental Books
â8âPortaleoneâs Library
â9âThomas Bodleyâs Oriental Collection
â10âConclusion
Conclusion
â1âA Properly Functioning Network
â2âFrom France to Leiden
â3âComparison with Other Collections
â4âThe Fate of the Bequest and the Arca Scaligerana
â5âThe Reconstruction of Scaligerâs Bequest
Appendix 1: List of Books in Scaligerâs Library, 1600 or later
Appendix 2: List Compiled by Janus Dousa in August 1594 Containing the Libri Haebraici, Chaldaici et Arabici from the Library of the Court of Holland
Appendix 3: The list of Oriental Books and Manuscripts from Scaligerâs library Compiled by Bonaventura Vulcanius
Appendix 4: Section of Scaligerâs bequest in Daniel Heinsius, Catalogus librorum Bibliothecæ Lugdunensis (Leiden: s.n., 1612), with the current shelf marks of the printed books and manuscripts in Leiden University Libraries
Appendix 5: List of Arabic sources in Scaligerâs library in 1608
Bibliography
Index
Translator's Note
List of Figures and Tables
The Oriental Bequest of Joseph Scaliger and the University Library of Leiden
Introduction
â1âNew Research on Scaligerâs Bequest
â2âThe Importance of Oriental Books in Early Modern Europe
â3âThe First Contemporary Description of the Bequest
â4âThe Project
1 A Life in Two Parts: Scaliger and His Collection before and after 1593
â1âScaligerâs Move to Leiden
â2âPush and Pull Factors
â3âLeiden University and the Study of Hebrew
â4âCorrespondence and the Republic of Letters
â5âThe Printing House of Plantin and Raphelengius in Leiden
â6âThe Importance of Good Books and Good Libraries
2 Scaliger as Scholar and Collector in France, 1552â1593
â1âScaliger the Philologist: Learning Greek and Oriental Languages
â2âPostelâs Influence on Scaliger
â3âParis: Scaligerâs First Hebrew Books
â4âThe Production and Sale of Oriental Books
â5âScaligerâs Journey to Italy with Chasteigner de la Roche-Posay
â6âThe Influence of Cujas on Scaliger
â7âRefuge in Geneva
â8âTouraine: Exile without a Library
â9âA Fragmented Library
â10âMastering Arabic
â11âMultilingual Ambitions
3 Supplying Scaliger with Books
â1âThe Context of Scaligerâs French Network
â2âDe Thou and the Bibliothèque Royale
â3âClaude Dupuy as Supplier of Oriental Books
â4âDupuy and Pinelli
â5âA Fellow Protestant in Paris: Pierre Pithou
â6âGuy Lefèvre de la Boderie and Other Suppliers of Books
â7âNicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc and the Samaritan Language
â8âScaliger and Mitalerius
â9âBooks from Jean Hurault de Boistailléâs Library in Scaligerâs Bequest
4 Scaliger in Leiden, 1593â1609
â1âTransporting Scaligerâs Books to Leiden
â2âScaligerâs âOriental Catalogueâ of ca. 1600
â3âBooks Left Behind in France
â4âScaligerâs Network in Leiden
â5âNew Contacts in the Leiden Network: Casaubon, Bongars and Commelin
â6âThe Operation of a Trade Network in Practice
â7âScaliger and Daniël van der Meulen
â8âSupplying Arabic Books: Chasteigner in Rome and the Tipographia Medicea Orientale
â9âGifts from around Europe
â10âThe Brothers Labbaeus, Fellow Bibliophiles
â11âScaligerâs Books in Rare Exotic Languages, from Slavic to Chinese
5 Expanding the University Library: a Will, a Bequest and an Auction Catalogue
â1âThe University Library of Leiden before Scaligerâs Arrival
â2âThe Oriental Books of the Court of Holland
â3âScaligerâs Death
â4âScaligerâs Will
â5âThe Auction Catalogue of 1609
â6âScaligerâs Oriental Bequest
â7âHeinsius and the Arca Scaligerana
â8âThe Placement of the Arca Scaligerana in Leiden University Library
â9âThe Legacy of Scaligerâs Bequest
6 Scaligerâs Bequest in the Leiden University Library Catalogues
â1âThe Catalogue of Vulcanius
â2âLibrary Catalogues before 1612
â3âCataloguing Scaligerâs Bequest: the Printed Library Catalogue of 1612
â4âThe Catalogue of 1623
â5âThe Catalogue of 1640
â6âThe Catalogue of 1674
â7âThe Catalogue of 1716
â8âConclusion
7 Oriental Collecting in Context
â1âPrivate Collecting in the Early Dutch Republic and Its Neighbours
â2âOriental Books in Sixteenth-Century Scholarly Libraries
â3âOriental Collections outside the Dutch Republic
â4âBurnettâs Canon
â5âThe Auction Catalogue of Johannes Drusius Senior (1616)
â6âThe Auction Catalogue of Franciscus (I) Raphelengius (1626)
â7âIsaac Casaubonâs Oriental Books
â8âPortaleoneâs Library
â9âThomas Bodleyâs Oriental Collection
â10âConclusion
Conclusion
â1âA Properly Functioning Network
â2âFrom France to Leiden
â3âComparison with Other Collections
â4âThe Fate of the Bequest and the Arca Scaligerana
â5âThe Reconstruction of Scaligerâs Bequest
Appendix 1: List of Books in Scaligerâs Library, 1600 or later
Appendix 2: List Compiled by Janus Dousa in August 1594 Containing the Libri Haebraici, Chaldaici et Arabici from the Library of the Court of Holland
Appendix 3: The list of Oriental Books and Manuscripts from Scaligerâs library Compiled by Bonaventura Vulcanius
Appendix 4: Section of Scaligerâs bequest in Daniel Heinsius, Catalogus librorum Bibliothecæ Lugdunensis (Leiden: s.n., 1612), with the current shelf marks of the printed books and manuscripts in Leiden University Libraries
Appendix 5: List of Arabic sources in Scaligerâs library in 1608
Bibliography
Index
Scholars interested in oriental scholarship, humanism and book collecting and cataloguing in the early modern period, book historians, libraries and institutes with extensive oriental collections.