Icon Animorum or The Mirror of Minds

Original Latin text with English translation on facing pages. In this essay from 1614 the Neo-Latin poet, translator, and commentator John Barclay describes the manners and mores of his European contemporaries. He derives the sources of an individual's peculiarities of behavior and temperament from the ‘genius' - the individual character created by each person's upbringing, time of life, and profession. Barclay likewise describes each nation's genius, its national character, and provides some of the geographical and historical background from which he claims this genius arose. The essay is a valuable study, not only for the illustration it offers of a pre-Romantic view of Europe, but for a glimpse into the continuities that mark European civilization. The introduction describes the Classical and Renaissance background to Barclay's work, with a detailed biography of the author. The Latin text reproduces Barclay's first edition, with the necessary corrections. The English translation (1631) is that of Thomas May, a skillful translator of Vergil, Lucan, and other classical authors, as well as a playwright in the manner of Ben Jonson. The book features illustrations of selected pages from early editions of the text, and includes contemporary portraits of Barclay and May.

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CONTENTS

List of Illustrations
Preface

Introduction
1 Introduction to John Barclay, Icon Animorum 1614
2 William Barclay
3 Life of John Barclay
4 Antecedents to the Icon Animorum
5 Barclay's Latin
6 John Barclay's Place in Literature
7 Thomas May and the English Translation
8 Outline of the Chapters of the Icon Animorum
9 Previous Editions of the Icon Animorum
10Translations
11 Principles of this Edition

Sigla 50

The Mirror of Minds or John Barclay's Icon Animorum: Text and Translation
Caput I Aetates hominis quattuor: pueritia, adolescentia, aetas virilis, et senectus.
Caput II Saecula paene singula suum genium habere, diversumque a ceteris. Esse praeterea cuilibet regioni proprium spiritum qui animos in certa studia et mores quodammodo adigat. Hos spiritus investigari operae pretium esse
Caput III. Galliae dotes et ingenium incolarum
Caput IV. Britannicae Insulae, in quibus diversi populi, Angli, Scoti, Hiberni
Caput V.Germaniae ritus et Belgii, cui hodie Germaniae inferioris omen
Caput VI. Italia et Italorum indoles
Caput VII. Hispanorum genius, mores
Caput VIII. Hungari, Poloni, Mosci, gentes reliquae ad septentrionem positae
Caput IX. Turcae, Iudaei
Caput X. Praeter patriae indolem, dari cuique mortalium suos affectus atque ingenium. Praecipua investigari posse, non scribi omnia. De ingeniis ad subitos iocos aut sententias valentibus. De aliis qui spontanea eloquentia diffunduntur. De hominibus tardioris lentiorisque prudentiae. Perfectos demum esse qui inter haec duo genera sunt positi. Utrum sint
praestantiores animi qui litteris idonei, an qui administrandis rebus publicis. Delicata ingenia assiduo aut diuturno labori minus apta quam tarda et depressa
Caput XI. De fortibus animis; temerariis, timidis, superbis, sordidis, languidis et reconditis, hilaribus et exertis. De inconstantibus ingeniis, omnia acriter sed non diu volentibus
Caput XII. De animis amori obnoxiis. Hos affectus singulorum temperari et interdum mutari a fortuna et vel splendida vel obscura vitae condicione
Caput XIII. Diversos affectus esse tyrannorum et legitimorum principum. Rursus regum qui successionis iure et eorum qui suffragiis ad regnum perveniunt. De procerum, qui apud principes gratiosi sunt, ingenio
Caput XIV. De studiis Aulicorum. De diversis generibus et affectibus egenorum; itemque divitum
Caput XV. De Magistratibus. De causarum Patronis
Caput XVI. De divinarum scientiarum peritis, deque Praefectis Religionum

Bibliography
Appendices
Index

Format: Text edition - ebook

ISBN: 9789461661395

Publication: November 06, 2013

Series: Bibliotheca Latinitatis Novae

Languages: English

Mark Riley is Emeritus Professor of Classics at California State University, Sacramento. He has edited John Barclay's Argenis, as well as several other Neo-Latin texts.

 

Mark Riley has successfully brought together a good standardized Latin text, a parallel English translation of range and ingenuity, and an erudite introduction. The inclusion of May's translation certainly sets it apart from other parallel Latin texts like Loeb and I Tatti (and this perhaps may disappoint some who wish to see the growth of a standardized Renaissance Latin Library like Loeb), but this edition provides the reader with the necessary tools to enjoy and appreciate the literature and its message (in Latin and/or English). The result should be warmly welcomed and enjoyed.
DAVID M. MCOMISH, University of Glasgow, Renaissance Quarterly 67.4 (Winter 2014)

 

This is a nicely produced edition of an interesting text, supplemented by an English translation that has considerable literary merit in its own right. The series in which the 'Icon' appears, Bibliotheca Latinitatis novae, is not producing volumes at nearly the rate of, say, The I Tatti Renaissance Library, but I wish we could see more books from them. There are many worthwhile Neo-Latin texts in need of editing!
Craig Kallendorf, Texas A&M University, Neo-Latin News Vol.62