Plinius Secundus (Gaius)
Caii Plinii Secundi Historiae Naturalis Libri XXXVII, Quos Interpretatione et Notis Illustravit Joannes Harduinus e Societate Jesu. Paris: Printed for the Society, 1741. Folio (2 vols and Index). Full diced calf, sometime rebacked retaining spines, boards with gilt floral roll-tooled borders, spines gilt in compartments with contrasting morocco lettering-pieces in one and lettered directly in one, gilt-ruled board edges, marbled edges, marbled endpapers; 10 plates of medallions and one folding map in Vol. I; in Latin. This may be a second edition of the 1723 edition printed by Antonii-Urbani Coustelier, this edition printed directly by the Jesuits. Pliny the Elder's Natural History was a model for later encyclopedias owing to its breadth, its use of references and comprehensive index. It is one of the largest surviving works of the Roman Empire and the only one of Pliny's.