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Grotius, de Jure Belli ac Pacis: A Bibliographical Accounts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 May 2017

Jesse S. Reeves
Jesse S. Reeves*
Affiliation:
University of Michigan
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Extract

In a preceding article has been described the first edition of the De Jure Belli ac Pacis, printed in Paris by Nicholas Buon in the spring of 1625. It would appear that this first edition was soon exhausted and Grotius set about the preparation of a second edition. He wrote to his brother William, August 29,1625, as follows: “Buon says that the edition of the Apologeticus is exhausted and that he has few remaining copies of the Law of War and Peace. Therefore he is preparing to reprint them both. I shall await the advice of my friends as to what they think ought to be changed or added.” How far he went with this is not clear. It was planned that the second edition would be printed by Buon, but delays intervened and Buon's death, April 22, 1628, took place probably when about half of the printing had been done. In writing to his brother William July 27, 1628, Grotius said: “My books concerning the Law of War and Peace have been revised by me in many places. Buon has died. His heirs are continually at odds. In the meantime I am considering whether I should send these books to Leyden.” At the end of 1628 he sent his brother a copy in which were noted emendations and additions. He said: ”I send you the books on the Law of War and Peace with not inconsiderable additions. I submit the care of these to you and your friends as, if I judge correctly, it is the most important of my works.”

Type
Research Article
Information
American Journal of International Law , Volume 19 , Issue 2 , April 1925 , pp. 251 - 262
Copyright
Copyright © by the American Society of International Law 1925

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References

1 This JOURNAL for January, 1925, pp. 12–22.Google Scholar

2 Renouard, Revue des Bibliothèques, Janv.-Juin, 1922, 81.Google Scholar Grotius wrote to Voss, October 16, 1627, that Buon hoped to begin printing in the following month.Google Scholar Grot. Epist., 224.Google Scholar

3 Grot. Epist. App., 104, 154, 183, 196.Google Scholar

4 Thompson, J. W., The Frankfort Book Pair, 71–2, 99 seq. Google Scholar Christian Wechel at his death left his establishment to his son Andreas and his sons-in-law Marne and Aubri. He is famous as the printer of De Bry.

5 August 4 1621. French text in Aitzema, Historic of Verhael van Saken van Staet en Oorhgh, etc., (1657), I, 101.Google Scholar Pradier-Fodèrè, Le Droit de la Guerre etdela Paix par Grotius, I, xxxiv, gives its date a year later.Google Scholar

6 Grotius reached Paris as Ambassador in March 1635 and left finally in the spring of 1645. He died August 29, 1645.Google Scholar

7 Reprint of the edition of 1683, New York, 1896, I, 38–9.Google Scholar Grotius referred to William Blaeu as the most diligent printer of his time, in a letter to Gassendi, dated April 12, 1632. Qrot. Epis., 294.Google ScholarPubMed See Baudet, Leven en Werken van WiUem Jam. Blaeu, Utrecht, 1871.Google Scholar

8 No one seems to have made a complete collation of all the editions. 1631 shows an interesting addition to 1625 at the beginning of the Prolegomena; the words ant divinis consti-tvtum legibw are not in 1625.Google Scholar

9 Hugmis Grotii de Jure Belli ac Pads . . . ed. P. C. Molhuysen, Leyden, 1919, xi.Google Scholar

10 Selden’s Mare Clausum was written, as Selden himself says, about 1619, but was practically rewritten before publication.Google Scholar James I had for political reasons refused to allow the work to be published. While combatting Grotius’ arguments, Selden refers to him in very favorable terms. Much might be said of the similarity of Grotius and Selden as to character, tastes, method, and modes of thought, so that the exchange of compliments is not surprising.

11 Hugonis Grotii Operum Descriptio Bibliographica . . . Scripsil Henr. Corn. Rogge, . . . The Hague 1883.Google Scholar

12 Grateful acknowledgment is made for materials upon which this list is constructed to Messrs. ter Meulen, H. L. Koopman and W. C. Lane, Librarians, respectively, of the Library of the Peace Palace at The Hague, of Brown University Library, and of Harvard College library.