WANDERING WOODS AGAIN 61
poem by G.J. Vossius, which again emphasizes the Statian connec-
tion, since it is an imitation of Silvae 2.7.^52 Grotius’ volume contained
three books of Silvae; the last one had the Epithalamia. The other two
were un-Statian: one of Sacra, religious poetry, another one entitled
Patria with patriotic poetry, but also bucolic poems in the style of
Theocritus. However, other books in the volume, entitled Elegiae,
Farrago, Epigrammata do contain several poems reminding of Sta-
tius’ Silvae. So here we see a combination of longer, more ambitious
non-occasional poems (Politianic) with one book of wedding poems
into a volume of Silvae, and on the other hand Scaligeran occasional
poems in other books.^53
Grotius’ love of Statius included critical work. Around 1608 he
annotated the margins of his copy with emendations. In late 1615
Caspar Gevartius, the author of Papinianae lectiones in 1616, bor-
rowed this copy and kept it for more than a year. Then he returned it
with a profuse letter of thanks. In spite of his loud acclaim, Gevartius
adopted just one conjecture by Grotius, and that is the only time he
mentions him. Nevertheless Gevartius did take more from Grotius’
copy, as closer inspection of the margins of Grotius’ private copy
makes clear.^54
pretium me facturum putavi, si universa in unum volumen congregata emitterem ...
(book II of the Silvae) totus tuus erat vel sine epistula ... cum ipsa omnia tibi uni sint
notissima, testem te advoco, cuius an auctoritate fidem inveniant ... (the author asks)
ut hunc laborem nostrum boni consulas. Cf. Stat. Silv. 1 Praef. 4–5, 10–1, 16 cum
singuli de sinu meo pro[diissent] congregatos ipse dimitterem. ... quid quod haec
serum erat continere, cum illa vos certe quorum honori data sunt haberetis? ... Primus
libellus sacrosanctum habet testem, Silv. 2 Praef. 4, 23–4, 27–8 ut totus hic ad te liber
meus etiam sine epistola spectet. ... Polla Argentaria ... imputari sibi voluit ... si tibi
non displicuerint, a te publicum accipiant; si minus, ad me revertantur.
52 3–11 “... Tu Pharsalica bella detonantem / vitae restituis ... / Vivunt per te Avi-
enus atque Aratus / et Germanicus ... / Sed, ne summa tuae sit ista laudis: / En Silvas
similes Papinianas ...”. Cf. Stat. Silv. 2.7.66.
53 Cf. on Scaliger above, and for more on the occasional poetry of Grotius and his
contemporaries van Dam 2008 (n. 20).
54 Grotius’ private copy was the 1600 Lindenbruch edition, now in Leiden Univer-
sity with shelfmark 759 D 8. I put the year at 1608 because in 1636 Grotius wrote to
Gronovius that he was just as old as he when he wrote his notes. Gronovius, born
1611, was 25 at the time. On Gevartius, Statius, the Leiden circle and Grotius, see van
Dam 1996a, 320–2 with note 30. Gevartius’ acknowledgement of Grotius’ retinentius
in 4.4.102 is mentioned there. Here I add three conjectures made by Grotius in his
margins which Gevartius silently appropriated: 2.2.95 grata ... grata M Graia ...
Graia Grotius, claimed by Gevartius; 3.3.64 gradu M gradi Meursius gradus Grotius
(or Livineius), also in Gevaert’s text; 3.4.98 reclusit M seclusit Grotius (also in