466

Terence (ca. 159-195 BCE)

Flowers or Eloquent Phrases.

London: by Thomas Mar[s]he, 1575.
Octavo, Terence's original translated into English by John Higgins (active 1570-1602) and Nicholas Udall (1505-1556); lacking 8 text leaves (signature I); title page printed within border of printer's ornaments; bound in early 20th century full crushed polished morocco by Curtis Walters with blind-tooled decoration to boards and spine; neat gilt lettering to spine; inner morocco doublures, and striped watered silk flyleaves; all edges gilt; very rare; 6 3/4 x 3 1/2 in.


STC 23902; ESTC S123853, listing 3 copies at U.S. libraries (2 of which are at the Folger); no copies of this edition in RBH, other 16th century editions offered at auction in 1968 and 1937 only.

"In English grammar schools, the comedies of Terence played a central role in the curriculum, both in their complete form and in translated excerpts, as in Nicholas Udall's popular textbook, Flowers for Latin Speaking Selected and Gathered out of Terence (first published in 1533). By Shakespeare's youth, Latin editions of Terence's works could be counted among the 'usual bokes for gramarians,' that is, books reliably used by grammar-school teachers for their students. For educators, the attraction was twofold: Terence was one of the most elegant stylists in the language (neat Terence, as Jonson called him) and his comic plots were deliciously appealing to students." (Quoted from Misha Teramura's "Black Comedy: Shakespeare, Terence, and Titus Andronicus," ELH, vol. 85, No. 4 (Winter 2018, pages 877-908.)

"[Curtis] Walters was influenced to take up bookbinding around 1900 by the late George D. Smith (1879-1920), eminent bookseller. Later he studied with Matthews, the Club Bindery and Stikeman." (Quoted from the foreword of a Parke-Bernet catalogue from December 10th, 1957, that featured several of Walters's masterpiece mosaic bindings.)

  • Condition: A4, A-Z8 (lacking signature I: 8 leaves), Aa-Cc8 Dd2.

    Please contact us to request a condition report:
    Devon Eastland, Senior Specialist: [email protected]
    Grace Meschery-McCormack, Cataloguer: [email protected]


    Please contact the Specialist for the auction to request a condition report.

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April 23, 2026 10:30 AM EDT
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