Plutarch’s Lives

Title page reads: PLUTARCH’S LIVES, translated from the original Greek with Notes, Critical and Historical; and a Memoir of the Translator. By The Rev. John and William Langhorne.

Undated, c.1882; LONDON: Ward, Lock, & Co., Warwick House, Salisbury Square, E.C. Printed by McCorquodale and Co, Limited, "The Armoury", Southwark, S.E. Octavo, 12.5cm x 21cm, 748 pp including index. Full calf binding with elaborate gilt decor to spine and green morocco title label. "Schola Civitatis Londinensis" (School of the City of London) crest in gilt to front board, and gilt heraldic motif on the back board; ruled in gilt at edges. Marbled endpapers.

Contents: Preface; Life of Plutarch; 50 chapters; Tables of Coins, Weights, measures etc.; Chronological Tables; Index.

Plutarch's Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans, commonly called Parallel Lives or Plutarch's Lives, is a series of biographies of famous men, arranged in tandem to illuminate their common moral virtues or failings. The contents include an introduction and chapters entitled :-Alcibiades; Caius Marcus Coriolanus; Alcibiades and Coriolanus compared; Nicias; Marcus Crassus ; Nicias and Crassus, Alexander; Julius Caesar; Demosthenes; Cicero; Demosthenes and Cicero. At the back of the book is a (6) page Chronological table, and an account of Weights, Measures, and Denominations of Money table. There is much more to this book than one first assumes. Deep in history it travels to where many books do not, and reads easily.

John Langhorne (March 1735 – 1 April 1779) was a British translator, poet and priest. He is chiefly remembered as the translator, with his brother, Rev. William Langhorne (1721–1772), of Plutarch's Lives, but in his day he had some reputation as a poet. His chief works in poetry are "Studley Park" and "Fables of Flora". In his "Country Justice" (1774–77) he foreshadows George Crabbe, as in his descriptive poems he foreshadows William Wordsworth.

In 1768, Langhorne went to live with his brother in Folkestone where William was perpetual curate and it was during this time they produced their translation.

Condition: Binding tight but spine slightly torn at top and cover slightly marked. End papers slightly foxed and slight age-toned throughout, but pages very clean otherwise. Bookplate at front for Edward Peake. On following two pages, in ink: 'From Wifie, Xmas 1912' and opposite that: 'J. G. Mortimer' scored through, under it: 'Edward Peake, Bournemouth 1912'. Good.

Please note this book will be posted from the UK.