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One of the most famous and classic erotica of the 17th and 18th centuries, falsely ascribed to the Academic circles in Leiden

CHORIER, Nicolas (Johannes MEURSIUS; Aloisia SIGAEA, both pseudon.).
Elegantiae Latini sermonis.




No place, no pr., (last quarter 17th, or first quarter 18th century) 12mo. Blue marbled boards. (6), 7-396 pp.

Rare edition of one of the most famous and classic erotica by Nicholas Chorier (1612-1692), also falsely ascribed to Johannes Meursius and Aloisia Sigaea.
Nicolas Chorier (1612-1692) was a French lawyer, writer, and historian. He is known especially for his historical works on the Dauphiné, as well as these erotic dialogues, in English called 'The School of Women', or 'The Seven Flirtatious Discussions with Alosia', and in French the 'Académie des dames, ou le Meursius français' or 'les Sept entretiens galants d'Alosia'.
The 'School of Women' first appeared as a work in Latin entitled Aloisiae Sigaeae, Toletanae, Satyra sotadica de arcanis Amoris et Veneris. In the preface it was claimed that the dialogues were originally written in Spanish by Luisa Sigea de Velasco, an erudite poetess and maid of honor at the court of Lisbon and were then translated into Latin by Jean or Johannes Meursius (1579-1639), a humanist and professor of Greek in Leiden. The attribution to Sigea was a lie and Meursius was a complete fabrication: it remains a mystery why Chorier has suggested Academic circles in Leiden as the source of the dialogues. First printed in the 50's of the seventeenth century, the book widely circulated especially through the libertine community at the beginning of the eighteenth century and was known in Latin also under many different titles. It was translated into French many times, including one translation by Jean Terrasson  in 1750, and into English and German ('Die Frauenzimmerschule').
The book is written in the form of a series of dialogues with Tullia, a twenty-six year-old Italian woman, the wife of Callias, who is charged with the sexual initiation of her young cousin, Ottavia, to whom she declares, 'You mother asked to reveal to you the most mysterious secrets of bridal bed and to teach you what you must be with your husband ...'.
Of the many editions recorded by Rose, etc., we couldn't find an edition with the same pagination.

The first part (pp. 7-164) contains 5 dialogues: (1) 'Velitatio' (pp. 7-16); (2) 'Tribadicon' (pp. 17-27); (3) 'Fabrica' (pp. 28-40); (4) 'Duellum' (pp. 41-69); (5) 'Libidines' (pp. 70-164). On p. 165 is the half-title for part 2: 'Aloisae Sigeae Toletanae Satyrae Sotadice, de arcanis amoris et Veneris. Pars altera', containing: two dialogues: (7 (=6)) 'Lampridius Rangonius' (pp. 167-236; (7) 'Fescennini' (pp. 237-353), followed by several other pieces:
- pp. 354-356: 'Sequitur in autographo Meursii' (in the handwriting of Meursius (!) follows:) a poem with the title 'De laudibus Aloisiae Poemation: nec ausim dicere deesse nihil' by '***Dan. He*** B***, undoubtedly the famous Leiden professor and Neo-Latin poet Daniel Heinsius (Batavus)!!.
- pp. 357-77: the letter 'Summo viro Aloysia de Elysiis hortis. S.D.'.
- pp. 378-82: the poem 'Tuberonis genethliacon, versibus senariis'.
- pp.383-4: a testimony of Aloisia Sigaea by Joannis Vasaeus.
- pp. 385-396: the 'Remedium medendi ardorem libidinis mulierum', consisting of four letters: (1-2) by C. Antonii Cos to Q. Soranus  and Soranus'answer (pp. 385-90); (3-4) Queen Cleopatra to Q. Soranus and his answer (pp. 390-6). The book ends on p. 396 with an epigram with a sharp erotic pun: 'Dicite, Grammatici, cur mascula nomina cunnus,/ Et cur femineum mentula nomen habet'.

Good uncut copy.- (Library stamp 'Bibliotheca Milichiana Gorlicensis'' on first page).
Cf. Gay-Lemonnyer III, 218-19; Rose, Reg. erot. books, nrs. 4240-80; Kearney, The Private case, nrs. 363-408.

Related Subjects: Erotica 

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