John Selden: A Life in Scholarship

The author was educated in England and the United States, and taught as a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and Professor of the History of Mathematics at Brown University. For many years his scholarly efforts were concentrated on the history of mathematics and astronomy. In these fields, he published what has become the standard translation of the most important ancient astromnomical treatise (Ptolemy's Almagest, 1984), and the first edition of the Arabic version of the standard work on Conics in antiquity (lost in the original Greek: Apollonius Conics Books V to Vii, 1990). Since retiring he has devoted himself to the intellectual history of early modern Europe, especially 17-th century England, in which he has published an account of the study of Arabic (Eastern Wisedome and Learning, OUP 1996).

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