If you want a period dictionary that was expanded upon from its publication in 1502 through its eleven language rendition in the 1590 Basil edition, you need to check out this Latin Lexicon. Alas, this is only the 1534 edition and not the 11 language edition, but it is a good humanist dictionary of the period tracing words back to their Greek and Latin roots as well as noting the specific passages in the primary source material. This dictionary, for example, went through 18 editions from one printer alone. Calepino’s name became almost synonymous with the phrase Latin Lexicon during this period. It was published in polyglot form as late as 1752. It is also noteworthy that the 1752 edition listed below was used in the seminary of Patavia and was intended for theological studies as well.

It is also extremely helpful on Latin phrases  and figures of speech in philosophy and theology as well.

The Bayerische StaatsBibliothek has several editions here. I believe the 1516 is a polyglot edition.

By the way, if your institutional library is so fortunate to have them tucked away in their rare book room, you might look for these: More … “Ambrosii Calepino Bergomatis Lexicon”

This is an ongoing digitalization project of the library of King Matthias I of Hungary or Hunyadi Mátyás (1443-1490). From a brief scan of the holdings here (by the way click on the orange dot for the images and the blue one for the bibliographic information), there are quite a bit of early printed books and illuminated texts of patristic and medieval theologians, philosophers, and poets in Greek, Latin, and medieval Hungarian. It is well done, but at the current time it does not have the option to download in full pdf. At the present time they only have roughly 50 works scanned, but don’t despise the day of small beginnings there are still some gems available like Jerome’s Commentary on Galatians, which is pictured at the left.

Of course you could go at it one right click at a time …

By the way, if you want to try your hand at a little bit of Latin Paleography on this text just for kicks, try this.

The Italian humanist Niccolo Perotti was one of the most influential Latinists of the Renaissance era for his editions of classical texts as well as the grammatical commentary. Even into the modern era, his work is greatly appreciated among scholars of the period for its insight into humanist neo-Latin grammar. For any serious scholar of the era, I would encourage you to find a copy (however, be warned - one of the volumes of the 3rd edition Aldus printing - the Cornucopia - is priced at roughly $13k US in a rare book store).

Also, for those interested here is a 1608 Perotti edition of the text of Polybius with no less than Wolfgang Musculus’ interpretation included.

Although not a complete set, Google books has the following and the Bayerische StaatsBibliothek has others:

More … “A Renaissance Latin Grammar & Encyclopedia”

I ran across this little plug-in for Microsof Word the other day and thought I would pass it along. There is also one for Open Office. And it does what it says. Check it out.

This is just a brief quote that I have appreciated more and more in editing through Mastricht’s comments on Scripture in his praecognitiones of theology (I.i.62) and as I have had numerous opportunities to preach over the past several months. I thought I would pass it along (the italics are Mastricht’s):

“Therefore the second practice concerns everyone whose heart is to live for God; so that namely they may love and magnify his unique rule (Ps. 119:127, 2 Thess. 2:10). This consists in love for the divine word (a) in bowing our disposition to Scripture to such a degree that we receive Scripture as God speaking to us, as it were, with His own mouth, with such great submission of course to whatever has been commanded; with such great care and aversion to whatever has been forbidden; with such great delight and desire for whatever has been promised; and finally with such great fear and anxiety of whatever has been threatened; and, as it were, we have God speaking such great things in our presence (1 Thess. 2:13).”

This post is just a glimpse into part of the work of a translator of old books, namely finding the relevant editions. So as you can imagine, having finished my coursework in the doctoral program a little over two weeks ago, I now have two things on my plate - studying for comprehensive exams in the Fall and long, uninterrupted stretches of translating Mastricht’s Theoretico-Practica Theologia (hereafter ThPT). For those of you wondering how far along volume one is, I have almost completed the first editing through 100 single-spaced 8.5 x 11 pages of the translation. Having just returned from a research trip to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary’s Barbour Library, I am happy to report that

More … “Editions of Petrus van Mastricht’s Theoretico-Practica Theologia”

Recently, Wes Bredenhof reviewed volume one of the new series Classic Reformed Theology, published by Reformation Heritage Books, “A Sketch of the Christian’s Catechism,” translated by yours truly and available with Ames’ Marrow of Theology here.

Or … an Italian site dedicated to a biographical and conceptual dictionary of non-Roman Catholic Christian thought. I ran across this when I found an entry referring to Voetius as a heretic. Needless to say I was curious, but not surprised (its web address is www.eresie.it). However, it is a little odd (for me at least) to see Protestantism classed with other heresies like donatism and adoptionism. The typical entry has a brief overview of the person’s life and major controversies as well as the doctrinal contributions. It is not limited to the Reformation but takes a diachronic approach since the apostles.

As to the Reformation in Italy, it was helpful to note several relatively unknown Italian reformers/martyrs who were classed as “calvinisti” due to either their training under Calvin or Beza at Geneva or their dissemination of Reformed thought in Italy. For example, Bartolomeo Bartoccio, Francesco da Bassano Negri, Alessandro Trissino, and Marcantonio Varotta. To read more go here.

ciao.

For those of you who are working through medieval, Reformation, and Renaissance texts, I am sure you will eventually run across a Latin place name for a European city. For example, which colloquium occurred at Mompelgardensium that Beza commented on? So here are a few extremely helpful resources for locating such places:
More … “Orbis Latinus et al: Resources for Latin Place Names”

Here are a few links that are extraordinarily helpful for working with the various “hands” of medieval paleography. 

• • • Resources from a Medieval Latin Paleography course at Stanford. - This is a great resource for manuscripts from Britain, Ireland, the Iberian peninsula, France, Belgium, German, and Italian.
    • D. Tillotson’s Medieval Writing site.
    • EVELLUM - various software programs (for purchase)  for the electronic study of medieval paleography. See especially DUCTUS for the period 150 AD - 1500 AD.
    • Resources for Medieval Studies from Georgetown University - LABYRINTH
    • Collections of Manuscripts online:
• •  
    •  
      • Diocese of Cologne, Codices E. Ecclesiae Coloniensis
      • Dublin, Trinity College Library
      • National Library of Ireland
      • Oxford, Bodleian Library, by period & place
      • Oxford, Bodleian Library, Checklist of Mss. to 1500
      • Oxford, Bodleian Library treasures, shelf mark
      • Philadelphia (?), Lawrence Schoenberg Collection
      • St. Gallen, Switzerland, Codices E. Sangallenses

Enjoy!