Francisci Josephi Desbillons Fabularum Aesopiarum Libri XV: Desbillons fünfzehn Bücher Aesopischer Fabeln

Abstract

What a treasure! Desbillons was a Jesuit who experienced the suppression of the Society in France in 1762 and then later in Mannheim, where he died the year this book was published. Apparently he first brought out his 15 books of iambic Latin fables in 1768: Lindseth has an illustrated Mannheim edition from that year. An informative introduction claims that it is better to teach Latin at the beginning with texts created by men who knew the ancients than to read the difficult ancient texts themselves. Andres mentions the loud complaints over the downfall of Latin these days! After a life of Desbillons (he left behind to the Lazarists a library of 13,500 volumes!), the introduction covers some 25 fabulists who lie behind Desbillons' work. Inscribed in 1790, this book was once in the library of Canisius College in Buffalo.