John Donne

G.F. Bordini: De rebus praeclare gestis a Sixto V. Pon. Max. Io. Francisco Bordini Carminum liber primus.

Rome: Giacomo Tornieri, 1588

Sp Coll Hunterian I.5.8

On the title page of this volume is the autograph of John Donne (1572-1631), the poet, Church of England clergyman and scholar. Donne's poetry is difficult to date as much of it remained in manuscript until after his death and was not widely known during his lifetime. The years 1609-1615 were his most productive for writing and research. His major work, Pseudo-Martyr, shows his allegiance to the policies of King James I. Regard for his work has fluctuated a great deal over the years, but he is currently regarded as one of the most important writers of the Renaissance.

This volume by Giovanni Francesco Bordini is an illustrated book of Latin panegyric poems in praise of and detailing Pope Sixtus V's building projects. This pope spent vast sums on public buildings. Amongst many other projects he built the Lateran Palace, completed the cupola of St Peter's, raised the obelisks of the Vatican, restored the columns of Trajan and Antoninus Pius, erected the Vatican Library and its printing-office and the Pope's apartments of the Vatican Palace. This volume is therefore an important work about architecture.

Image: John Donne's autograph on title page of G.F. Bordini's De rebus praeclare gestis...

Go to the next book in the exhibition, previously owned by: Jean-Baptiste Colbert.