A Treatise of Morall Philosophie: therein is contained the worthy saying of philosophers, emperours, kings, and orators; their lives and answeres: of what linage they came: and of what countrey they were: whose wirthy sentences notabke oreceotsm ciunsels, and parables, doe hereafter follow. BALDWIN, William; PALFREYMAN, Thomas.

8vo (15.5 x 10 cm); early pen inscriptions to title, last f. of text verso, and rear endpapers, title slightly soiled, text-block a moderately toned, edges frayed with occasional slight loss, small hole to S6 fore-edge margin not affecting text, title soiled and frayed at edges, text block toned; contemporary vellum, spine lettered in MS 'Morall Philosophie', vellum soiled and cracked; An early edition of this anthology or florilegium collecting together observations on moral philosophy from a wide range of classical authorities including Plato, Aristotle, and Marcus Aurelius. The text is divided into 12 books, opening with a history of philosophy and lives of the ancient philosophers in alphabetical order, turning to considerations on theology, the politics, the mind, the seven cardinal virtues and deadly vices. 'A collection of classical and humanistic adages and sententiae, the former text is tinged with Erasmianism. It attempts on the one hand to introduce classical learning to a readership dedicated to self-education, and on the other to harmonize classical philosophy with Christian belief. A very popular text, the Treatise underwent frequent revision and expansion by the compiler and others; it had been reissued twenty-four times by 1620' (ODNB). ESTC S124282.