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Details
- The first study to cover all of John Selden's works and examine his scholarship
Professor Toomer's book is not only an indispensable reference work but also provides the first thorough treatment of the scholarship of John Selden, acknowledged as the most learned man of 17th-century England. All of his numerous published works, especially in the fields of history, law, and Hebraica, are critically examined and described in detail. The narrative also relates his writings to contemporary events, in the Civil War and the parliaments (including the Long Parliament) in which he played a prominent part, and to the work of other scholars in Europe (notably Scaliger and Grotius) and in Britain (including Camden and Ussher). Selden's involvement with the Universities, the support of libraries, and the promotion of scholarship is discussed. The work will be an essential resource, not only for the life of a major figure of his time, but also for the intellectual history of 17th-century England in general.
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1: Early Years: Education
2: The Inner Temple and Literary London
3: The Resources for Scholarship in the Early 17th Century
Classical and Medieval Texts
Ancient inscriptions
Numismatics
Legal texts and treatises
Hebrew and other non-European texts
Libraries
Acquisition of books and manuscripts
Archives
Forgeries and Romances
The Bible as a historical authority
Chronology
Etymologies
4: Early Works
Analecta Anglobritannica
Janus Anglorum
England's Epinomis
Duello
Illustrations to Poly-Olbion
Critique to the early works
5: 'Antiquarian' Writings
Titles of Honor 1614
Titles of Honor 1631
Of the Iewes sometimes living in England
Letter to Vincent
6: Writings on English Legal History
Fortescue
Hengham
Original of Testaments and Intestates Goods
Dissertatio ad Fletam
7: De Diis Syris
DS 1617
The reception of De Diis Syris
DS 1629
Critiques of De Diis Syris
8: The Historie of Tithes
Tithes and 'divine right'
Why did Selden write Historie of Tithes?
Composition of Historie of Tithes
Significance of the title
Publication of the book
The Preface
Tithes in the Old Testament
Tithes among the Gentiles
History of tithes among Christians generally
History of tithes in England
The Review
Critique of Historie of Tithes
The aftermath
9: The Social and Political Background to Selden's Later Work
Patrons, friends and acquaintances
The Virginia Company
Parliaments
Imprisonment and bail
10: Works on English Medieval History
Eadmer
Matthew Paris (1640)
Historiae Anglicanae Scriptores
11: Marmora Arundelliana
The inscriptions
The edition
Critique of Marmora Arundelliana
12: Mare Clausum
Origin and publication of the book
Book I
Book II
Critiques and reception of Mare Clausum
13: Earlier Works on Jewish Law
Selden's approach to Jewish Law
De Successionibus in Bona Defuncti
Features of the 1636 edition
De Successione in Pontificatum
14: De Iure Naturali
Origin of the book
Title and Preface
Book I
Books II-VII
Critiques of De Iure Naturali
15: The Long Parliament and the Promotion of Scholarship
Selden in the Long Parliament
Religion and the Westminster Assembly
The Universities
Libraries
Aid to scholars and promotion of scholarship
Table Talk
16: Arabic Studies
Helpers and aids to study
Biblical and Christian religious works
Eutychius
The Koran
Other Arabic works
Printing in Arabic
Selden's contribution to Arabic studies
17: Karaite Influences: De Anno Civili & Uxor Ebraica
De Anno Civili
Uxor Abraica
18: De Synedriis
De Synedriis I
De Synedriis II
De Synedriis III
Critiques of De Synedriis
19: Death and Legacy
Deathbed scenes
Funeral and Tomb
Selden's Will
The fate of Selden's library
20: Selden in the History of Scholarship
Paradigms of scholarship: Selden and Ussher
Purpose of scholarship
Methodology
Relations with other scholars
Selden's influence
Appendices
A. Selden's "autobiography"
B. Legal Texts
C. Trinoda Necessitas
D. The 'third edition' of De Diis Syris
E. Selden's letter to Taylor on oriental studies
F. Capistrum Iudaeorum
G. The "Selden" emendations of Dio Chrysostom
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G. J. Toomer, Professor Emeritus of the History of Mathematics, Brown University
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"The most learned of English scholars, Selden has been an object of awe and wonder for more than three and a half centuries, but has proved simply too learned, too inaccessible or too obscure for even experts to form any sense of his total achievement. Thanks to this remarkable and possible unrepeatable commentary, now we can." - William Poole, Times Higher Education Supplement
"... Selden the scholar has left a body of work which could be assessed only by a scholar as formidably learned as himself. He has been fortunate indeed in having at last found such an interpreter." - George Garnett, Times Literary Supplement
