Original Latin text with English translation on facing pages. In this essay from 1614 the Neo-Latin poet, translator, and commentator John Barclay describes the manners and mores of his European contemporaries. He derives the sources of an individual's peculiarities of behavior and temperament from the ‘genius' - the individual character created by each person's upbringing, time of life, and profession. Barclay likewise describes each nation's genius, its national character, and provides some of the geographical and historical background from which he claims this genius arose. The essay is a valuable study, not only for the illustration it offers of a pre-Romantic view of Europe, but for a glimpse into the continuities that mark European civilization. The introduction describes the Classical and Renaissance background to Barclay's work, with a detailed biography of the author. The Latin text reproduces Barclay's first edition, with the necessary corrections. The English translation (1631) is that of Thomas May, a skillful translator of Vergil, Lucan, and other classical authors, as well as a playwright in the manner of Ben Jonson. The book features illustrations of selected pages from early editions of the text, and includes contemporary portraits of Barclay and May. This publication is GPRC-labeled (Guaranteed Peer-Reviewed Content).
Mark Riley is Emeritus Professor of Classics at California State University, Sacramento. He has edited John Barclay's Argenis, as well as several other Neo-Latin texts.
CONTENTSList of IllustrationsPrefaceIntroduction1 Introduction to John Barclay, Icon Animorum 16142 William Barclay3 Life of John Barclay4 Antecedents to the Icon Animorum5 Barclay's Latin6 John Barclay's Place in Literature7 Thomas May and the English Translation8 Outline of the Chapters of the Icon Animorum9 Previous Editions of the Icon Animorum10Translations11 Principles of this EditionSigla 50The Mirror of Minds or John Barclay's Icon Animorum: Text and TranslationCaput I Aetates hominis quattuor: pueritia, adolescentia, aetas virilis, et senectus.Caput II Saecula paene singula suum genium habere, diversumque a ceteris. Esse praeterea cuilibet regioni proprium spiritum qui animos in certa studia et mores quodammodo adigat. Hos spiritus investigari operae pretium esseCaput III. Galliae dotes et ingenium incolarumCaput IV. Britannicae Insulae, in quibus diversi populi, Angli, Scoti, HiberniCaput V.Germaniae ritus et Belgii, cui hodie Germaniae inferioris omenCaput VI. Italia et Italorum indolesCaput VII. Hispanorum genius, moresCaput VIII. Hungari, Poloni, Mosci, gentes reliquae ad septentrionem positaeCaput IX. Turcae, IudaeiCaput X. Praeter patriae indolem, dari cuique mortalium suos affectus atque ingenium. Praecipua investigari posse, non scribi omnia. De ingeniis ad subitos iocos aut sententias valentibus. De aliis qui spontanea eloquentia diffunduntur. De hominibus tardioris lentiorisque prudentiae. Perfectos demum esse qui inter haec duo genera sunt positi. Utrum sintpraestantiores animi qui litteris idonei, an qui administrandis rebus publicis. Delicata ingenia assiduo aut diuturno labori minus apta quam tarda et depressaCaput XI. De fortibus animis; temerariis, timidis, superbis, sordidis, languidis et reconditis, hilaribus et exertis. De inconstantibus ingeniis, omnia acriter sed non diu volentibusCaput XII. De animis amori obnoxiis. Hos affectus singulorum temperari et interdum mutari a fortuna et vel splendida vel obscura vitae condicioneCaput XIII. Diversos affectus esse tyrannorum et legitimorum principum. Rursus regum qui successionis iure et eorum qui suffragiis ad regnum perveniunt. De procerum, qui apud principes gratiosi sunt, ingenioCaput XIV. De studiis Aulicorum. De diversis generibus et affectibus egenorum; itemque divitumCaput XV. De Magistratibus. De causarum PatronisCaput XVI. De divinarum scientiarum peritis, deque Praefectis ReligionumBibliographyAppendicesIndex
In Summe bleibt von Rileys Edition der Eindruck eines gelungenen Beitrages zu einem bislang kaum beachteten Text, v.a. aber auch der Eindruck einer Edition, die einen Ansporn zu weiterführenden Auseinandersetzungen mit Barclays Icon Animorum gibt. Isabella Walser, Editionen in der Kritik, 2014