Michael Maittaire , born in France in 1668 and died in London the August 7th 1747, is one of most erudite and most famous the Bibliographe S English of the 18th century.

Biography

Parents Protesting S that the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes obliged to seek an asylum in England, Maittaire, after having completed its studies at the school of Westminster with a rare distinction, visited the Holland and stopped some time with $the Hague in the brothers Taillant, famous printers of which it accepted multiplied evidence of benevolence.

Pressed desire to re-examine its native land, Maittaire obtained the permission to go to Paris where it was accommodated scientists with regards which touched it highly. Its heart had remained foreign with any feeling of hatred, and, though the exile of his/her parents could only have been prejudicial with its fortune, never one did not intend it to blame this measurement. A long time after its return to London, he spoke about his fatherland only with tenderizing; and, in several circumstances, it rented qualities of Louis XIV and returned justice with its intentions with a really French frankness and a honesty.

Free from any ambition and satisfied with its poor fortune, Maittaire spent the whole days to reading and writing in its cabinet; it was very versed in the old languages, and one owes him a great number of editions of the Greek and Latin classic authors, very remarkable by their correction and indices of a use so convenient that it is enough to remember a word to find the passage which one needs. Of a soft nature, modest and kind, Maittaire had many friends and was in correspondence with the most famous scientists of England, of France, of the Netherlands and Germany.

Named one of the schoolmasters in which he had studied, he consequently shared his time between his pupils and his books, and died, at the 79 years age.

Publications

One has of Maittaire:

1. Græcæ linguæ dialecti , London, 1706, 1742, in-8°; $the Hague, 1738, in-8°. This edition was re-examined and increased by J. - F. Reitz. Mr. F. - G. Sturz gave of it a news which one looks like the best of all, Leipzig, 1807, in-8°.
2. Opera and split up veterum poetarum latinorum , etc, London, vol. in-fol., extremely estimated edition and whose specimens in large paper are very rare. The specimens which carry the date of 1721 differ from the others only by the change of frontispiece. One will find in the bibliographical Répertoire of Peignot (p. 232 and suiv.) the list of the authors whom this invaluable collection contains.
3. Stephanorum Historia vitas ipsorum ac libros complectens , London, 1709, 2 parts in-8°, work erudite and full with interesting research it is much higher than that which Almeloveen had published on the same printers, though besides likely of improvements.
4. Historia typographorum aliquot Parisiensium vitas and free complectens , London, 1717, 2 vol. in-8°. The author dedicated to this work to the duke of Orleans, regent of the kingdom, by an epistle filled of the noblest feelings. This volume contains the lives of Simon de Colines, of Michel Vascosan, Guillaume Morel, Adrien Turnèbe, Fédéric Morel and Jean Bienné: it is often joined together with the precedent.
5. Epistola of maledicentia P. Burinani . This letter, addressed to Capperonnier against P. Burmann Ier, is in the literary History of Europe , T. 2, p. 302.
6. Annales typographici Al artis invented origin AD annum 1557 (cum Appendice AD annum 1664) , $the Hague, Amsterdam and London, 1719 - 1741, 5 volumes or 9 vol., in-4°. This work is rather important so that it is allowed to speak about it with some details. The volume Ier ($the Hague, 1719) contains the catalog of the books printed with or without date of 1457 with 1500, preceded by an erudite essay of Antiquis Quintiliani editionitus ; volume 2 (ibid, 1722) is divided into 2 parts and contains the continuation of 1501 with 1536; volume 3 (ibid, 1725), also divided into 2 parts, extends from 1537 with and contains moreover the Appendix of 1558 with 1664; volume 4 (Amsterdam, 1733), divided into 2 parts, contains the new searchs for Maittaire on the editions of the 15th century, and forms a supplement with the 1st volume; but the Dutch printer, instead of conforming for Maittaire, entitled it Ier volume, and indicated it like a new edition, re-examined and increased, which made useless the volume printed in 1719 while, as it is seen, it is only one continuation; volume 5 (London, 1741), divided into 2 parts, contains the general tables of the work and new additions. It is almost incredible that a man alone came to end to carry out such a wide work and who supposes so many research, criticism and patience. The work of Maittaire, undoubtedly quite imperfect, is however still the best than we have. Mercier of Saint-Leger, excels matter judge similar, known as that it is only by improving it and improving it that one can hope to have finally a good story of printing works. Several bibliographers endeavoured to raise the errors of Maittaire: one will be satisfied to quote Bernard of Monnoye, Prosper Marchand ( historical Dictionnaire , Mercier ( Supplément with the History of printing works ), Rive ( Chasse for the bibliographers ), François-Xavier Laire ( Index libror. ), etc Of other bibliographers tested glaner after Maittaire as a substitute with his omissions; most known are: Schelhorn, Lœscher, Seelen, Leich, Haeberlin, Otto Mencke, Denis, Nyerup, Panzer, etc One can Voir also, for more details, Struvius, bibl. Histor. litterar. , p. 2238 and suiv., or the Repertory already quoted of Peignot, p. 265 and suiv.
7. Miscellanea grœcorutn aliquot scriptorum dyed with carmine, ctim versions lâtina and notis , London, 1722, in-4°, printed with the expenses of the doctor Freind. This collection contains poetries which bear the name of Mercure Trismégiste , the Oracles of the magi since Zoroastre , a Hymne with Hygie , by Ariphron de Sicyone; the Anthems of Proclus; those of Aristote, with the Virtue ; of Homère, with Apollo , etc
8. Marmora Oxoniensia, Greek and Latin , etc, ibid, 1732, in-fol., rare edition, higher than that of Prideaux, and that one still seeks, because it contains various remarks omitted by Richard Chandler. One must find at the end of volume a part of 30 pages, entitled Antiquœ inscriptiones. duœ, grœca deteriorated, deteriorated latina, cum brevi notarum and conjecturarum specimine . The Greek inscription is relative to a temple devoted to Bacchu S by the inhabitants of Héraclée, close to Tarente, and that Mazocchi described with a great detail; the other contains a payment on the internal order of Rome.
9. Carmen epicinium augustissimœ Russorum imperatrici sacrum , 1739;
10. Senima sive poética aliquot in argumentis varii generis tentamina , ibid, 1742, in-4°, rare and required collection some biographers badly by the way allotted to him the Catalogus bibliothecœ Harleîanœ , London, 1743 - 1745, 5 vol. in-8° (see: Harley). It composed only the epistle dédicatoire of it, like it says it itself, p. 2.

The collection of traditional Latin, published by Maittaire of 1713 with 1722 (London, Tonson), form 27 volumes in-12. One finds the list of the authors of which it is composed at the end of the Manuel of the bookseller , by Brunet. Among the editions due to the care of this untiring philologist, one will still quote those of the Apophtegmes of the kings and the princes, etc , by Plutarque, London, 1741, in-4°, and of the Poésies of Anacréon, ibid, 1728, in-4°, drawn with specimens, in each one whose Maittaire took the care to correct itself with the feather the small number of faults escaped the impression and it had taken the same care for the 204 specimens of its beautiful edition of the Batracliomyomachia , 1721, in-8°. This Anacréon was reprinted in with the same number, in addition to six paper superfin specimens.

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