Pamelius
(1583/4) ['1579']

(Adams T413)

There are two issues of this edition, with different title pages but otherwise identical:

1583 - Paris: Michel Sonnius 
1584 - Antwerp: Christopher Plantin.  (Adams T415)

1583/4 : PAMELIUS : Paris: Sonnius, and Antwerp: Plantin.  Edited by Jac. Pamelius of Bruges, based on Gelenius, plus using 3 Vatican codices; also 1 each from the monasteries of St. Amandus and St. Bavonus, and 1 from John Clement, the Englishman. The book was split into 5 sections. He also printed the fragments. Apparently he also refers to a Greek copy of the works of Tertullian in the library of Philip II of Spain in the dedicatory epistle(see lost works page for details) Not checked.  According to CTC 84, §15, we owe the chapter divisions in many of Tertullian's works (such as De corona) to this edition.  

This edition is listed in MIGNE and many others as published in 1579.  This is an error.  The volume was printed at Michel SONNIUS in Paris (1583), and some copies were supplied to Christopher PLANTIN in Antwerp to be sold with a fresh title page (1584) (see VOET).

Copies: 

Sonnius (1583):

• Oxford Early Books Project list: Corpus, Oriel, Wadham
• Details and images of a copy at in the Sandor Teszla Library at Wofford College in the USA are online at "http://www.wofford.edu/sandorteszlerlibrary/rare_books/tertullian.htm".

Plantin (1584): 

• Cambridge: Christ's College (defective).  
• Oxford Early Books Project list: Merton, Pusey, St. Johns
• A copy is listed in the Bodleian online catalogue:

VOET's entry on this volume:

TERTULLIANUS, Quintus Septimius Florens

Church-father, c. 160 — c. 220. A native of Carthage, he became a lawyer, probably living in Rome. Having been converted to Christianity in 195 or 196, he returned to Carthage, where he became a catechist and, according to St. Hieronymus, a priest. Author of a long list of apologetic, theological, controversial and ascetic works in Latin, and of a few writings in Greek.

2299 Opera, [ed. Iacobus Pamelius]. [Paris, Michel Sonnius], 1584.

Ill. 37-38

Q. SEPTIMII || FLORENTIS || TERTVLLIANI || CARTHAGINIENSIS || PRESBYTERI, OPERA || QVÆ HACTENVS REPERIRI || POTVERVNT OMNIA: || IAM POSTREMVM, AD EXEMPLARIA || manuscripta collatione facta, quamaccuratissimè recognita, aliquot etiam || libris auctiora; nunc primum in capita, & certo ordine, habita quantum || fieri potuit temporum ratione, in QVINQVE TOMOS distincta. || CVM IACOBI PAMELII BRVGENSIS, THEOLOGI, || Archidiaconi Audomaropolitani, Argumentis & Adnotationibus toti Operi || interiectis; quibus tum loci obscuriores explicantur, tum quidquid || ad Antiquitatem Ecclesiasticam spectat, illustratur. || AB EODEM PAMELIO RECENS ADIECTA; TERTVLLIANI || Vita; Scripturarum citatarum Index locupletiss. Aliaq; Prolegomena. || Catalogum totius Operis inueniet Lector post Epistolas Dedicatorias; & in || singulis Tomis Præfatiunculas de librorum ordine. || +38 || ANTVERPIÆ, || Apud Christophorum Plantinum. || M.D.LXXXIIII.

Fol. (348 x 220 [265]): a-l⁶, m⁸, n-p⁶, r⁸, A-Z⁶, Aa-Zz⁶, AA-ZZ⁶, AAa-ZZz⁶, AAA-NNN⁶, OOO⁸; pp. 1-209, [210-212], 1-1278 (Errors: 1st part: 18 not numbered, 189 for 195; 2nd part: 6 for 9, 86 for 88, 189 not numbered, between 382-[383] blank page not numbered but counted as Ii⁸, 383 and 523 not numbered, 699 for 599, 890 for 990).

[1] : Title; [2]: Blank; 3-10: . . . domino nostro, Gregorio XIII . . . (Douai, 14 September 1579, s. Iacobus Pamelius; word in Gr); 11-14: . . . Philippo II Hispaniarum regi . . . (Douai, 13 September 1579, s. Iacobus Pamelius; It, words in Ro); 15-17: Poem on the edition by Andreas Hoius Brugensis; [18] -20: Table (It and Ro); 21-22: Notarum explicatio ... (on two columns; It, parts in Ro); 22: Greek poem by Ioannes Silvius Atrebatensis; 23-46: Vita . . . Tertulliani . . . auctore Iacobo Pamelio . . . (parts and marginals in It); 47-48: Catalogi operum Tertulliani (parts in It and on three columns); 49-64: Paradoxa Tertulliani cum antidoto Iacobi Pamelii (parts in It); 65-66: Tertyliani I.C. Romani responsa quae in libris digestorum exstant; 67: Reverendo . . . Iacobo Pamelio . . . (Arras, 1 January 1583, s. Andreas Hoyus Brugensis; It, word in Gr); 68-89: Proverbiales formulae . . . contentae, brevibus scholiis illustratae (on two columns; parts in It and Gr); 90-209: Indices (on two columns; It, parts in Ro and Gr; with on p. 90: Ad SS. litterarum professores Iacobi Pamelii praefatiuncula); [210-211]: Priv. (Paris, 20 July 1583, s. De Villoutreys; Tournai, 7 July 1582, s. A. le Comte; both granted to Michel Sonnius, bookseller in Paris); [212]: Ill. (portrait of Tertullianus) with, a Latin poem by P. Bacherius; [1]-1278: Text (parts on two columns; parts in It and Gr, marginals in Ro and It).

Ills.: Three woodcuts: 1) In 1st part, p. [212]: circular (diam. 142) portrait of Tertullianus, with inscription: '• TERTVLLIAN • AF • CART • PRESB'; 2) In 2nd part: hors-texte, 368 x c. 530, to be inserted between pp. 260-261, showing the Circus Maximus (different inscriptions; above, within the limits of the woodcut, a typographically printed text about the Circus Maximus, with the heading 'Antiquitatum studiosis'; underneath the illustration, to the right, printed typographically 'Ceste carte doit estre mise apres la page 260'); 3) In 2nd part, p. 523: 315 x 182, illustrating 'Arcium schema, quibus singulae aeonum potestates collocabantur a Valentino, cum universa Aeonum genealogia.'.

Copies: MPM (A 278); UL Amsterdam; RL Brussels; Cambridge; ML Lübeck; BN Madrid; UL Utrecht.

Ref.: RDB, p. 263 (1584, no. 9; cf. also p. 253 [1583, no. 6]: sub 1583, referring to UL Utrecht, but the copy there has the date 1584; and p. 199 [1579, no. 4]: erroneous mention, probably owing to the fact that the dedicatory is dated 1579); Rooses, Musée, p. 220.

Notes:  -1- The works of Tertullianus edited by the Bruges scholar Jacobus Pamelius. The first part contains the Prolegomena, including: Vita Tertulliani by J. Pamelius (pp. 23-46), Paradoxa Tertulliani cum antidoto lacobi Pamelii (pp. 49-64); Proverbiales formulae toto opere hoc Tertulliano contentae, brevibus scholiis illustratae (pp. 68-89), and the Indices (pp. 90-209). The second part contains the works of Tertullianus divided in 5 'books', each 'book' preceded by a table and a foreword of Pamelius 'ad lectorem' about the order of the treatises in the book; each treatise preceded by a summary by Pamelius and followed by annotations on the treatise by the Bruges scholar. The first 'book' contains libri adversus gentes et Iudaeos (pp. 1-188: De pallio; Apologeticus adversus gentes pro christianis, cum paraphrasi F. Zephyri; De testimonio animae adversus gentes; Ad scapulam; Adversus Iudaeos). The second 'book' contains libri paraenetici sive admonitorii ad Christianos (pp. 189-382: De poenitentia; De oratione; Ad martyras; De patientia; De spectaculis; De idololatria; De habitu muliebri; De cultu foeminarum; Ad uxorem libri duo; De corona militis; De velandis virginibus). The third 'book' contains scripta adversus haereseis (pp. 383-1044: De praescriptionibus adversus haereticos; De baptismo adversus Quintillam; Adversus Hermogenem; Adversus Valentinianos; De anima, adversus philosophos et haereticos; De carne Christi, adversus quatuor haereseis; De Resurrectione Carnis; Adversus Marcionem libri V; Adversus gnosticos Scorpiacum; Adversus Praxean). The fourth 'book' contains poemata sacra et operum quae desiderantur notulae (pp. 1047-1117: Adversus Marcionem libri quinque; De iudicio Domini; Genesis; Sodoma; Ad senatorem ex Christiana religione ad idolorum servitudem conversum; Apologetici pro christianis in Graecum conversi fragmenta, cum versione Latina, and a series of Notulae). The fifth 'book' contains ea quae in haeresi sive adversus ecclesiam scripsit, cum iis quae aliena sunt, including at the end some works of Novatianus (pp. 1119-1278: De exhortations castitatis; De monogamia; De fuga in persecutione ad Fabium; De ieiuniis adversus psychicos; De pudicitia; Novatiani liber de Trinitate; Eiusdem de cibis Iudaicis epistola; Eiusdem epistolarum de vera circumcisione et vero sabbato notulae). The Notarum explicatio in 1st part, pp. 21-22, gives the long list of works used by Pamelius for his edition. 

-2- As can be deduced from the formula of the printer's address ('Apud Christophorum Plantinum'), the privileges (to M. Sonnius) and the type and initials used, and as confirmed by the Plantinian archives, this edition was in fact printed in Paris for Michel Sonnius. It may be assumed that copies circulated with a title-page showing the imprint of the Parisian publisher. Plantin did only replace on the copies he took from Sonnius the Paris title-page by one showing his own address. These copies numbered 300 and are entered on 1 November 1583 to the credit of M. Sonnius for the sum of 960 fl. (Arch. 19, fol. 167: 'Pour 300 op[era] Tertuliani tous parfaicts qui reviennent à 3 fl. 4 st. sans y comprendre les frais et pot de vin de la copie: 960 fl.'). 

-3- Pamelius did start studying Tertullianus quite early, and Plantin helped him as best as he could. Cf. Corr., III, no. 376 (H. Junius to Plantin, 16 March 1572: in connection with Pamelius, the Dutch scholar affirms 'Variam quidem habeo in Tertullianum lectionem sed meas in eundem observationes, libris observationum, quos in aestatis finem paro, destinavi'); Corr., IV, no. 565, p. 157 (Plantin to Alanus Copus in Rome: 'Pamelius et ego miramur quare nunc ea quae ad eum mittis meis litteris non includas, ita namque citius et tutius ad manus ejus perveniunt, neque est quod timeas me pro Tertulliani sumptibus onerare ut qui omnes feram tum illi quae hic et alibi tum quae istic fiunt . . .'); Ibidem, no. 596 (Plantin to Copus, 1 January 1575: 'Quae misisti Tertuliani ilico Brugas ad Pamelium missa sunt. Haec ad tuas 6 Novembris scriptas respondenda visae sunt'); Corr., V, pp. 10-11 (fragment of a letter to A. Copus, September 1575: 'Dns Pamelius nobis adfuit et has tradidit. Tertullianus expectator non sine maximo reipub. detrimento quod nulla exemplaria catholica reperiantur. Rogamus itaque ut in conferendo procedere velint collatores'); Ibidem, no. 671 (to Copus, 12 November 1575: 'Quae misisti pro Dno. Pamelio ad eum destinavi et scripsi ne amplius in Romanenses collatores culpam rejiciat quod Tertullianus nobis non transmittat, id quod se facturum promisit ante festum Paschatis'). 

-4- As can be deduced from the letter of 12 November 1575 Plantin did help Pamelius because he had been promised the publication of the work. This the typographer let it also be understood in a letter of 1-4 September 1576 to Arias Montanus (Corr., V, no. 738, p. 199: 'Opera S. Hieronymi, S. Hilarii, et Tertulliani suscepi excudenda'). However, when in 1579 Pamelius, at that time living in Douai, where he had retired from Calvinist dominated Bruges, finally finished his Tertullianus (the dedicatory to Gregorius XIII is dated Douai, 14 September 1579, the one to Philip II Douai, 13 September 1579), he insisted to have his work printed not in Antwerp in the Plantin Press, but in Paris. The reasons for Pamelius's change of mind are not given, but it may be supposed that the scholar was not willing to publish his Tertullianus in a Calvinist dominated region. Anyway, a quite angry Plantin wrote to Pamelius on 22-28 August 1579, expressing his perplexity about the desire of the scholar to have Tertullianus printed in Paris, and recalling the costs he had already made in view of the publication (Corr., VI, no. 835: '. . . Miror itaque quod scribas te rursus voluisse in memoriam refricare, magis vero quod statueris omnino ut Parisiis excudatur Tertullianus ad quod nihil aliud habeo quod respondeam nisi quod res meae non ferant ut alibi quicquam vel apud alium curem imprimi quam in officina nostra. Tibi vero ex aequo et bono uti Christianum et Sacerdotum theologum decet perpendendum et judicandum relinquo quam justum sit me sumptus a tanto tempore fecisse, papyrum magno emptam jam per triennium integrum servasse juxta tuum praescriptum in variis litteris tuis signatum, nunc vero tandem spe mea ex promissis tuis concepta frustrari'). In Plantin's answer of 15 October 1579 to a (not preserved) letter of Pamelius, dated 15 September 1579, the typographer finally accepts the idea of printing the Tertullianus in Paris ('Acquiesce itaque tuae voluntati ut Tertullianus Parisiis excudatur'), and now expects Pamelius to outline his conditions, to which Plantin would answer; eventually they could decide together on the Parisian Press which would be the first to be approached (Corr., VI, no. 844). In the meantime, Pamelius had sent a new letter, dated 13 October, to which at first Plantin only thought to reply with a copy of his letter of 15 October, but finally he came forward with a detailed proposition: as he guesses the damage incurred in not printing the Tertullians to be in the region of 600 fl., he proposes that of the printed edition he should receive 500 copies, for which he would provide the paper and pay the printing costs and nothing else; or else that, when the work comes from the presses, he would be given, before the sale starts, 80 copies free of charge. He finishes with stating that he had instituted in Paris M. Sonnius to look after his interests in the matter (Corr., VI, no. 846: 'In primis testor Deum quod sexcentis florenis mihi pure numerandis nollem eos sumptus facere quae causa et spe imprimendi tuum Tertullianum feci. Ego tamen ne sim in mora contentus ero omnem meam actionem cedere cui voles ea conditione ut mihi concedantur, semel quingenta exemplaria pro quibus dabo papyrum et solvam id quod pro labore impressed numerandum erit nec quicquam praeterea pro exemplari correctione vel aliis quibusvis rebus. Quid si conditio eo non placeat ecce offero aliam, nempe ut absoluta impressione priusquam ullo modo exemplaria [praeterquam ipso auctori ad munera sua tantum facienda] vaenum exponi possint mihi omni solutione libera tradantur octoginta exemplaria. Et ne aliqua oriatur difficultas de mea absentia constituo Dnm. Michaelem Sonnium Bibliopolam juratum universitatis Parisiensis procuratorem meum . . .'). Pamelius's answer has not been preserved, but in any case an agreement was worked out, in which M. Sonnius accepted to publish the work (cf. his letter to Plantin, 7 February 1580 [Corr., VI, no. 861]: '. . . après ma lectre escripte, est arrivé 1'homme de Monsr. Pamelius, ensemble la copie de Tertullianus avecque lequel aij accordé, et promis trente exemplaires doncq il en aura troijs bien reliés, et 27 en blanc, et aultre trente escuz sol, en me livrant la reste de la copie qui doit estre dedans ung mois. J'aij faict ledict accord fort volontiers pour 1'amour de vous, pour ne perdre vos frais, et aussi veritablement a cause que ladicte copie me plaist fort, bien corrigee, et les arguments et commentaires contiendront aultant ou d'avantage que le reste'; after a digression on another publication, Sonnius continues 'et oultre fuldra envoyer et renvoyer les feulles imprimés audict Pamelius et beaucoup aultres frays qui se monteront a beaucoup, lequelz feray tous a mes depens, et aussi luy bailleray le trente escuz sol seul. Les exemplaires que doibt envoyer [= the 30 copies, being the fee of the author] suijs d'advis que les paijons par moitié, au reste ne seroys subject a aultres frais si non de cinq cens au pris du papier et fasson, ce que trouverés raisonnable, comme me tiens pour asseuré, aussi me doibt fournir d'ung privilege du Pape et du Roy d'Espangne'). Sonnius had thus already the manuscript in his possession in the beginning months of 1580. Why the printing was only finished in the second half of 1583 is not clear. 

-5- In his ledger, at an unspecified date (after April 1578), is noted by J. Moretus to the debit of Pamelius: 'Pour les despenses faictes au Tertullianus p. diverses fois mon père luy a mandé qu'il a desboursé la somme de 150 fl.'. Together with books delivered to Pamelius in 1575, 1576 and 1578, the total sum owed by the canon amounted to 349 fl. (Arch. 18. fol 172] When Moretus started a new ledger the same sum was entered to the debit of Pamelius on 31 May 1582 as being not yet paid. But when Pamelius had paid 96 fl. 6 st. 'en diverses fois' (at unspecified dates), the remaining sum was cancelled (again at an unspecified date): 'Item le reste mon père ne veult rien luy rabatant pour Tertull.: 252 fl. 14 st.' (Arch. 20, fol. 22). 

-6- On 7 July 1584 L. Torrentius complained that he had not yet received his copy of Tertullianus (Corr., VII, no. 1023). 

-7- Listed in Ms. 296, fol. 18vo (Tertulliani opera f° Sonnii, f[euilles] -, [price:] fl. 6 st. 10).

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Leon VOET, The Plantin Press (1555-1589): A bibliography of the works printed and published by Christopher Plantin at Antwerp and Leiden, Amsterdam: Van Hoeve (1982), vol. 5. pp. 2173-8.  §2299.  Checked.  Entry Online above, and very interesting indeed.  Would that more such detailed studies existed.

This page has been online since 29th July 2002.

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