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IMAGINES L. DOCTORUM VIRORUM 5
Appendix 2 C
QUI
BENE DE STUDIIS LÍTERARUM MERUERE
(1587)
50 engravings
In 1587 Philips Galle published his third series of por­
traits of illustrious scholars. In his introduction Frans van
Ravelingen, who wrote all the verses accompanying the
portraits, states that this publication is to be considered as
the promised supplement to the 1572-senes. Only two
portraits had been used in the 1567-edidon (Aventinus
and Beatus Rhenanus), while no engravings of the 1.572-
edition have been used at all. Again most of the scholars
chosen come from the late fifteenth or the sixteenth cen­
tury, although a handful from the later middle ages have
been added (e.g. Thomas ab Aquino and several Italian
jurists).
The tide page is followed by an unnumbered sheet.Recto:
one page with a Latin introduction, set in letterpress and
written by Frans van Ravelingen:
"LITERARUM ETV LITERATORUM STU --/ DIO
SIS S./ Promissum OV lEaXlVOYpETOV Ov8' a^aTTjAGV
Ov8 ateX£VTT|tOV esse deberé, nemo nisi make fidei/
negat: non minus enim ad solutionem more bono/
promissio obhgat, quam iure stricto stapulatio aut/ oblig­
an o. Fatetur id et suo exemplo docet Phi-/ lippus Gallaeus.
Cum enim, ut semper reip, et ijs/ qui isti profuerurit
prodesse opere maxumo studuit; /ante axmos quindecim
Eruditorum virorum effigies aliquot ederet, au-/ etiorem
editionem promittebat. Quae quidem graves ob causas
usque/ adhuc dilata est; non autem prorsus sublata. Nam
ecce cum foenore satis-/ facit. non primum opus auget;
novum nec hactenus visum dat. its tamen,/ uti, pro
cuiusque arbitratu, priori annecti possit et separatim ha-
/ beri.Verum uno opus hoc priori cedet, titulis, inquarn,
et indicibus/ Iixiaginúm.Prioribus lux affulsit a Benedicto
Aria Montano, his tene-/ brae erunt a tcnebris ingenij
mei.Audax tamen post tantum virum hoc/ iter trivi: mm
quod petenti id Gallaeo, amico avito et paterno, recusare/
durum fuisset; turn quod sperem, aetatcrn meam adules-
centem tudorem/ fore a stilo et censura. Ceterum quisquís
sine dolo malo index es, Ima-/ gines vituperare;Versus, si
Ita visum,laudare noli.Patiar. Olirn vo~/ labo.Vale et fhierc.
Kal. SEXT. CiCfin reverse]. IC[ín reverse!. LXXXVII./
Fr. PL Raphelengius."
228
"Greetings to those who are well-disposed to the liberal
arts and men of letters.
That a promise must neither be revocable, nor wily, nor
unaccomplished [Homer, Iliad, book 1, verses 526-527],
no one will deny, save someone of bad reputation. For a
promise obliges no less to fulfilment by common decen­
cy, than an agreement and an obligation bind by exact
rules of law. Philips Galle agrees to this and proves it by
his own example. For when he edited some portraits of
learned men fifteen years ago, doing his very best to be
of benefit to public interest and its protagonists, he
promised an enlarged edition. Until now, due to serious
reasons, this has been delayed, but not entirely cancelled.
For behold, he has given satisfaction with Interest. He does
not enlarge the first work, but releases a new one, as yet
unpublished. Issued, however, in such a way that it can,
according to your own taste, both be used as an appen­
dix to the first book and be held separately. But in one
aspect this work will be inferior to the first edition; I am
referring to the captions and the verses underneath the
portraits.To the previous ones lustre was added by Benito
Arias Montano, while these will remain in obscurity due
to the insignificance of my talent.Yet 1 have recklessly fol­
lowed this great man's footsteps: both because it would
have been difficult to refuse Galle's request, for he is an
ancestral and paternal friend, and because I hope that my
youthful age will make me less liable to stylus and criti­
cism. Besides, to anyone that judges without a malicious
intention: do not scoff at the portraits, but also do not
praise the verses, even if you want to. That I will allow.
That I will once want. Farewell and enjoy yourself. August
1, 1587." (translated from the Latin by Jan Bloemendal)
Verso: a table of contents in letterpress and underneath
the approbatio by the Antwerp canon Michiel Hetsrocy
(Bruegel c. 1540 - Antwerp 1593): "APPROBATIO./
Michael Hctsroey a Bruegel, Canomcus Antverpiensis
vidit et/ approbavit. X. lulij, Anno M. D. LXXXVII./
Michael Hetsroey, manu propria." (four lines).Then fol­
low 50 portraits, numbered 1 to 50, with verses engraved
in the margin underneath. All die portraits seem to have
been engraved by Philips Galle.
Galle reissued this series twice. In 1595 die 1587-edition
was published widi a slighdy different tide page and new
versions of the portraits of Andreas Schott and Laevinus
Torrenrius, engraved by Theodoor Galle and Gijsbert van
Veen respectively. In 1606 Galle again republished the