HISTORY, SCIENCE & PHILOSOPHY 66 “The Most Human Of All Books…” Second edition of the first English translation of one of the world’s great classics, published only one year after the first edition. The Meditations have been considered by many “one of the great books of all time… [and as] the most human of all books” (Britannica). Wisdom, justice, fortitude and temperance are the qualities that Aurelius, stoic and practical moralist, identifies as most essential for co-existence; his writings represent an early and influential philosophy of humanism. His Meditations “are a collection of maxims and thoughts in the spirit of the Stoic philosophy, which… breathe the purist sentiments of piety and benevolence” (Peck, 90). “No one would now dare write a book like Marcus Aurelius’ To Himself, or, as we call it in English, The Meditations, and present it to the world as philosophy. He didn’t either. But once published, these, his most intimate thoughts, were considered among the most precious of all philosophical utterances by his contemporaries, by all Western Civilization after they returned to favor at the Renaissance, and most especially by the Victorian English, amongst whom The Meditations was a household book” (Rexroth, Classics Revisited, 112). This translation by Meric Casaubon is the first directly into English; Casaubon’s elegant and scholarly translation was still being reprinted in the 20th century. Marginal paper repair to A2, marginal open tear to S2, a few small stains, shallow ink stain to top edge of text block, binding lovely and fine. Near-fine condition. 73AURELIUS, Marcus. The Roman Emperor, His Meditations Concerning Himselfe: Treating of a Naturall Mans happinesse; Wherein it consisteth, and of the meanes to attaine unto it. London, 1635. Small quarto, period-style full brown calf gilt, custom clamshell box. $9500 “You have been formed of three parts— body, breath, and mind. Of these, the first two are yours insofar as they are only in your care. The third alone is truly yours.”
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