Virgil; Carolus Ruaeus [Charles de La Rue] — P. Virgilii Maronis Opera

London, T. Dring; G. Wells; A. Swall, 1687 . Leather. The first London edition of de La Rue"s Delphin Virgil, an influential scholarly edition of the complete works with continuous prose interpretation and notes. In a full calf binding.  The first London edition of Charles de La Rue"s celebrated Delphin Virgil, following the enlarged second Paris edition of 1682 and described on the title page as "juxta editionem novissimam Parisiensem." Virgil"s complete works, the Eclogues, Georgics, and Aeneid, in Latin, accompanied by de La Rue"s continuous prose interpretation and extensive explanatory notes. The preliminaries include the anonymous Vita Virgilii, commonly but incorrectly attributed to Donatus, together with de La Rue"s dedication to Louis XIV"s son, Louis, le Grand Dauphin. Charles de La Rue (1643-1725) was a French Jesuit classicist, Neo-Latin poet, and court preacher. His Virgil became one of the most enduring volumes in the Ad usum Delphini series, commissioned under the direction of Pierre-Daniel Huet and the Duc de Montausier for the education of the French heir. With an extensive one hundred and twelve page index to the rear.  ESTC No.: R28896 A8 a8 B-Z8 2A-2Q8 2R1 a-g8 (A1 is blank). Collated, complete.  An early English printing of one of the most influential pedagogical editions of Virgil.    In a full calf binding. Externally, sound. Slight rubbing and bumping to extremities, resulting in minor loss to calf. The odd mark to boards with slight discolouration. Slight rubbing to boards with the odd scratch and scuff mark. Fading to lower corners of boards. Creasing to spine; shelf label to tail. Rubbing to spine label with one or two chips. Damp staining to rear board. Bookplate of Rowland Hunt to front paste down with ink inscription dated 1759. Internally, firmly bound. Pages generally bright and clean, if typically age toned with light scattered spotting. Ink annotations and marginalia, occasionally bleeding through the leaf. Small 2 inch closed tear to lower fore edge of O8. Upper margins tightly trimmed, occasionally encroaching onto the running headings. Ink drawing of a wind rose to rear free endpaper; faint later pencil sketch to rear paste down. Tide marking to lower corners of first and final leaves and the odd gathering, more prominent to front; damp staining to gutter off first few leaves. Very Good . Ill.: None. Very Good .