The early ELZEVIRS published a wide range of works in theology, philosophy, law, and medicine.  These ranged from the classics - works by VIRGIL, SENECA, PLINY, CAESAR and CICERO - sometimes with scholarly annotations by contemporary Dutch scholars - to the  works of more recent European thinkers such as ERASMUS, DESCARTES, GALILEO and CHARRON and many Dutch contemporaries such as DE LAET and HEINSIUS.  They were responsible for printing numerous theses for the University of Leiden, and also published the Erasmian text of The Bible.  Only a handful of their works are described here.  For links to larger collections described on the Web go to the next page.

Figure 1 Virgil (P. Virgilii Maronis):  Opera OPERA;  nunc emendatiora.  Lvgd. Batavor.  Ex officina Elzeviriana.  Ad 1636.  The second of 16 editions of the complete works of Virgil noted by Copinger (Willems 450, Berghman 2167) annotated "1st issue with the passages printed in red, see pages 1 and 92".  With a Dedication by "Daniel Hensius Nicolao Hensio Filio suo" (Daniel Heinsius to his son Nicolaas Heinsius).  Latin.  Index.  Contemporary (?) red morocco binding with all edges gilt.

Reissues of the classics represented the "bread and butter" of the ELZEVIR trade.  There were numerous editions, such as the 16 editions of the Opera Omnia of VIRGIL (P. Virgilii Maronis).  The second edition illustrated here (see Figure 1) was published by the Leiden firm in 1636 with a dedication by Daniel HEINSIUS to his son Nicolaas.

Figure 2 Gronovius:  Senecas Notae.  Joh. Fred. Gronovii ad L. & M. Annaeos Senecas Notae. Lvgd. Batav. Ex Officina Elzevirana 1649. (Willems 664, Berghman 1278).  The first of two editions noted by Copinger.  Latin.  This copy has a modern but attractive binding in marbled boards.

The Notes by SENECA were annotated by the Dutch scholar GRONOVIUS and issued by the Leiden firm in 1649.  The title page of this edition has the Non Solus woodcut.  The Non Solus design went through many stages and there are numerous variants.  This is one of the better, but not the best, examples of the design.

Figure 3 Erasmus: Colloquia.  Des Erasmi Roterod. COLLOQVIA nunc emenda: tiora.  Vidit pervidit isit.  Lvgd. Batavorvm Ex Officina Elzeviriana Anno 1643.   (Willems 552, Berghman 1347).  Latin. The second of 15 editions noted by Copinger. Contemporary (?) red morocco binding, all edges gilt.

Desiderius ERASMUS (1466-1536), or "Erasmus of Rotterdam", was a noted Dutch Humanist whose works defended the moral freedom of individuals and frequently satirised the religious institutions of his time.  Among his best known works were Diatribe de Libero Arbitrio (Reproof on Free Will) (1524) and Ecomium moriae id est Laus stultitiae (In Praise of Folly) (1509).  The Colloquia (1518) illustrated here condemn ecclesiastical fraud. It was reissued in this edition from Leiden in 1643, the second of 15 editions brought out by the Press. His text of the New Testament was also issued by the ELZEVIRs.

Figure 4 Pierre Charron:  De La Sagesse. De La Sagesse Trois Livres.  Par Pierre Charron, Parisien, Docteur es Droiets.  Suivant la vraie copie de Bordeaux.  A Amsterdam, Chez Louys & Daniel Elzevier. 1662. (Willems 1281, Berghman 416). French.  Index. Red morocco binding, all edges gilt.

Pierre CHARRON (1541-1603) was a French philosopher, theologian and Doctor of Law who was a contemporary of an influenced by MONTAIGNE.  In 1594 he published a work in defence of Catholicism, Les Trois Verites, but the work illustrated here, De La Sagesse, reveals a remarkable departure from his earlier views and was attacked by the Jesuits.  The title page illustrated here (see Figure 4) was published in Holland by the Amsterdam office of Louis (Louis III) and Daniel ELZEVIR in 1662 and is typical of the Press at that time which increasingly published representative works of recent and contemporary European thought.  The device on the title page is the Minerva.

Figure 5 J.  De Laet:  Belgii Confoederati Respublica BELGII CONFOEDERATI Respublica: SEV Gelriae.  Holland.  Zeland.  Traject. Fris.  Transisal.  Groning.  chorographica Politicaque descriptio.  Lvgd.  Batav.  Ex officina Elzeviriana 1630.  The first of two editions noted by Copinger (Willems 326, Berghman 1812). Vellum.  Latin.  Index.

Johannes DE LAET was a director of the Dutch East Indies Company and a noted  historian and geographer - some would say "journalist" - whose works included L'Histoire du nouveau Monde, and he also had a hand in the series of ELZEVIR "petites republiques".  The Belgii Confoederati Respublica illustrated here was published in Leiden in 1630.  The engraved title page depicts the arms of the seven provinces of the Federation.

Other writers and scholars published by the ELZEVIRS

René DESCARTES (1596-1650) whose Opera Philosophica, Geometrica, and other works were published by the Press.  It is believed that the ELZEVIRs turned down the honour of publishing DESCARTES' first work, the Discourse on the Method, which was printed by another Leiden printer Jan MAIRE in 1637, because DESCARTES preferred to publish it anonymously.
 

A bibliography of the works of Descartes (1637-1704) by Matthijs van Otegem, Department of Philosophy,  University of Utrecht, The Netherlands (added May 2003)
In this summary of a research project to compile a bibliography of DECARTES' works, van Otegem outlines another theory as to why the ELZEVIRS did not publish the first work of DESCARTES.  He also describes a Professor's copy of the ELZEVIR " Principia" which was produced interleaved with blank pages for notes.
http://www.kuleuven.ac.be/archief/studgen/nbr/2001_2/Onderzoek.htm

 
René DESCARTES Collection at the University of Notre Dame (added May 2003)
http://www.rarebooks.nd.edu/collections/rare_book/descartes/descrption.htmlDESCARTES biography (added May 2003)

http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/philosophers/descartes.html

DESCARTES biography on Philosophy Pages (added May 2003) http://www.philosophypages.com/ph/desc.htm

"Mind and Body" exhibit at Bryn Mawr
ELZEVIR editions of works by DESCARTES were displayed at an exhibition "Mind and Body - Rene Descartes to William James", which included books from the collection of the National Library of Medicine, and which was held in honour of the Centennial Celebration of the American Psychological Association at Bryn Mawr University in 1992.
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/Mind/Table.html
 

GALILEO Galilei (1564-1642) GALILEO published several earlier works with the ELZEVIRs and his Discorsi e Dimonstrazioni Matematiche - his last work - was published by them in 1638 after his works were banned by the Inquisition from appearing in Italy.
 

A brief biography of Galileo Galilei (amended 6 February 2000)
http://www.fau.edu/~jordanrg/bios/Galileo/Galileo_bio.htm

Treasures of the University of Delaware Library
http://www.lib.udel.edu/ud/spec/exhibits/treasures/science/galilei.html

Hugo GROTIUS (1583-1645) is remembered in Holland for his daring escape from Castle Loevestein in a chest in 1619.  GROTIUS, who had been imprisoned for his political views, escaped to France from where he wrote his work De jure belli ac pacis which many consider laid the basis for modern international law, and later established himself in Sweden.  Many of his legal and philosophical works were reissued  by the ELZEVIRs after his death.

LOWENSTEYN, Peter.  Grotius and the socioeconomic development of the United Provinces around 1600.  Canadian Journal of Netherlandic Studies 1985 (amended May 2003)
http://www.lowensteyn.com/grotius/

Daniel HEINSIUS(1580-1655), a Dutch classical scholar and poet, who became professor of history and secretary to the senate in Leiden. His advice is said to have been of importance in determining the policy of the Leiden branch. May of his own works were published by the ELZEVIRs and he also translated  and annotated classics such as Aristotle's Politicorum in an edition published in 1621. Later his son Nicolaas, who also edited Latin texts and wrote poetry, became a close friend of Daniel ELZEVIR in Amsterdam.

How the Textus Receptus got its name - and other Bibles

The second edition of Abraham and Bonaventure ELZEVIR's printing of the New Testament  in 1633, as edited by ERASMUS, is referred to as the Textus Receptus or "received text".  the source of this phrase is the publishers' Preface which includes the words:  "Textum ergo habes nunc ab omnibus receptum" - which loosely translates as "the text which is now received by all".  The ELZEVIRs also published The Bible of the Dutch Reformed Church in an edition de gantsche Biblia published by "de weduwe ende erffgenamen van J. Elz." (the widow and heirs of J[ohannes] ELZEVIR) in 1663.

Facts on the Textus Receptus and the King James Version, by Allan A. MacRae and Robert C. Newman, BIBLICAL SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY,  Hatfield, Pennsylvania (added May 2003)
http://www.inplainsite.org/html/the_textus_receptus_and_the_ki.html

Erasmian edition
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05286a.htm

"In defence of Erasmus", by John Sereghin - a defence of the Erasmian text (added 6 February 2000)
http://www.watch.pair.com/erasmus.html

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