Cruquius, Jacobus

Jacobus Cruquius

Messines, before 1520 - Bruges, 1584

1. Introduction

1.1 Biography

Jacobus Cruquius, also known as Jacob Cruucke or Jacques De Crucque, was born in the Flemish city of Mesen (Messines) some time before 1520. His earliest education remains obscure, but he enrolled at the University of Louvain, on 29 August 1532, as a dives (rich student) at the pedagogy of the Lily. He promoted to magister artium (master of arts) on 18 February 1535, having been ranked eighth of one hundred and eight applicants.
During his Louvain years, Cruquius became acquainted with Michel Drieux (Michael Driutius, †1559), professor of canon law and a strong promoter of the humanist movement which had taken hold in Louvain after the foundation of the Collegium Trilingue (College of Three Languages) in 1517. Drieux encouraged Cruquius in his humanist pursuits and probably supported him financially.
After his traditional training in the humanities, Cruquius moved on to study jurisprudence at the University of Louvain and graduated as licentiatus (licentiate) in canon law. Simultaneously with his law studies, he followed the courses of Conradus Goclenius (†1539) and Petrus Nannius (1500-1557) at the Collegium Trilingue.
In March 1542, Cruquius was teaching the "humanas litteras" (classical languages) at the Augustinian convent of Louvain and applied to replace Petrus Nannius when the latter contemplated a journey to Italy. Nannius never left and it is unclear whether Cruquius himself left the Low Countries for a peregrinatio academica (academic tour) later that year. If so, it must have been a short trip because Cruquius was appointed professor in bonis litteris (Latin and Greek) of the Cuba-foundation in Bruges , in succession of Georgius Cassander (1513-1566), on 8 February 1543. Cassander himself recommended Cruquius for the position.
The humanist from Mesen became a central figure in the intellectual circles of Bruges and was known for his rich library and his extensive collection of antique coins. As professor in Bruges, he taught a future generation of philologists, including Jacob Reyvaert (Jacobus Raevardus, 1534-1568) - who dedicated his Anti-Tribonianus to Cruquius -, Lucas Fruterius (1541/42-1566), Victor Giselinus (1543-1591), Janus Lernutius (1545-1619) and Franciscus Modius (1556-1597).
Cruquius’ first publication, an edition of the fourth book of Horace’s Carmina, was printed by Hubertus Goltzius (1526-1583) in Bruges, in 1565. All his following books, except for the posthumous reprints, were printed in Antwerp by Christopher Plantin (ca. 1520-1589) : editions of separate works of Horace in 1567 and 1573 ; an edition of the opera omnia of the same poet in 1578 (reprinted in 1579, 1597 and 1611) ; and an edition of Cicero’s Pro Milone in 1582.
In 1578, Calvinists took over the administration of the city of Bruges. This change of government and religious context remained without consequence for Cruquius. He stayed on as professor at the Cuba-foundation and continued his teaching and publishing activities until his demise on 22 June 1584. He did this to the delight of the Calvinist city magistracy, which offered him several raises and rewarded him with extra bonuses for the publication of his Horace-edition in 1578, and for his Cicero-edition in 1582.
We know very little about Cruquius’ personal life, but he must have had at least one son since his commentary to Horace’s Ars poetica in the 1578 edition is entitled : "Iacobus Cruquius Cornelio Cruquio filio εὖπράτθειν". Similarly, an archival document dated in 1582 speaks of Cruquius "and his family".

1.2 Editorial activity

Cicero Pro Milone (1582)

Horace Odes - book IV (1565), Epodes (1567) , Satires (1573), Opera omnia (1578, 1579 , 1597 , 1611).

Although Cruquius’ edition of the Pro Milone seems to be of little importance , his editions of Horace were recognized by his contemporaries as landmarks in the study of the Roman poet. An indication of his contemporary fame is that his work was reprinted in Leiden in 1597 (with another reprint following suit in the same city in 1611), expanded with additional notes by the Leiden professor Janus Dousa the Elder (1545-1604).
The famous English philologist Richard Bentley (1662-1742) likewise saw the importance of Cruquius’ publications. The British Library holds a copy of the 1597-edition with numerous annotations in Bentley’s hand, thus proving that he made ample use of Cruquius’ edition for his own work on Horace.

Cruquius is honored as the first to realize that the commentaries of Pomponius Porphyrio and Pseudo-Acro contain several errors. Of even more importance is the fact that he was the only philologist able to consult a set of manuscripts, preserved in St. Peter’s abbey in Ghent, which were destroyed during the iconoclastic riots in 1566. These ancient manuscripts included the so-called Codex Blandinianus Vetustissimus, "which represented a recension earlier than the date of Porphyrio." Cruquius added the scholia of these manuscripts under the name "Commentator", followed by his own commentary, to his edition of Horace’s text. Modern scholars disagree on the reliability of the information provided by Cruquius, which has given rise to an ongoing debate known as "the Cruquian question". It is impossible to determine today how accurate Cruquius was in his representation of the manuscripts for, as Henry de Vocht stated, "although philologues should move heaven and earth, it never will be made out what manuscripts were used, for any disputed passage, by him ; nor what was found by him in each instance ; nor whether, for any determined place, the old codex is exactly reproduced by him, or altered on his own head."

1.3 Bibliography

WORKS OF REFERENCE : BN V, 48-51 (J. Roulez). HCT III, 481-487. NBW XIII, 177-180 (P. Vandermeersch)

CRITICAL BIBLIOGRAPHY : De Schrevel, A.C., Histoire du séminaire de Bruges, 2 vols, (Bruges, 1883-1895). Hoehn, P., De Codice Blandinio Antiquissimo (Jena, 1883). Roulez, J., ‘Jacques de Crucque, philologue’, in H. J. Constandt (ed.), Stad Mesen. Herinnering en geschiedenis samengevoegd bij de tiende verjaardag van het museum (Mesen, 1982), pp. 228-231 . Schweikert, E., Cruquius und der Codex Divaei des Horaz (Paderborn, 1910). Verbeke, D., ‘Horace from Bruges to Cambridge : The editions by Jacobus Cruquius and Richard Bentley’. Zangemeister, K., ‘Ueber die älteste Horazausgabe des Cruquius’, Rheinisches Museum, XIX (1864), 321-339.

OVERVIEW OF EDITIONS BY CRUQUIUS WITH THEIR EDITORIAL AND AUTHORIAL PARATEXTS :

Q. Horatii Flacci Carminum liber quartus (Bruges, Hubertus Goltzius, 1565) : Letter to Franciscus ab Helfaut, by Jacobus Cruquius ;Message to the reader, by Jacobus Cruquius
Q. Horatii Flacci Epodon liber (Antwerp, Christopher Plantin, 1567) : Dedication letter to Jacobus a Claerhout, by Jacobus Cruquius ;Poem by Jacobus Cruquius
Q. Horatii Flacci Satyrarum seu potius Eclogarum libri II (Antwerp, Christopher Plantin, 1573) : Letter to Remigius Drusius, by Jacobus Cruquius ;Poem to Remigius Drusius, by Jacobus Cruquius ;Message to the reader (anon.)
Q. Horatius Flaccus (Antwerp, Christopher Plantin, 1578) : Poem to Ioannes De Vooegt, by Jacobus Cruquius ;Letter to the city magistracy of Bruges, by Jacobus Cruquius ;Message to the reader (anon.) ;Letter to Nicolaus a Briarde, by Jacobus Cruquius ;Second message to the reader (anon.), introducing the Vitae Horatianae
Q. Horatius Flaccus (Antwerp, Christopher Plantin, 1579) : Identical to the edition of 1578.
M[arci] Tul[lii] Ciceronis Oratio Pro T. An. Milone (Antwerp, Christopher Plantin, 1582) : Letter to Christopher Plantin, by Jacobus Cruquius ;Message to the reader, by Jacobus Cruquius
Preface (anon.)
Q. Horatius Flaccus (Leiden, Franciscus Raphelengius, 1597) : Poem to Ioannes De Vooegt, by Jacobus Cruquius (reprint from 1578) ;Letter to the city magistracy of Bruges, by Jacobus Cruquius (reprint from 1578) ;Letter to Nicolaus a Briarde, by Jacobus Cruquius (reprint from 1578) ;Message to the reader (anon.) (reprint from 1578) ;Message to the reader (anon.) ;
Letter to Victor Giselinus, by Janus Dousa ;Letter to Christopher Plantin, by Janus Dousa ;Message to the reader, by Fr. D.
Q. Horatius Flaccus (Leiden, Franciscus Raphalengius, 1611) : Identical to the edition of 1597.

2. Cruquius’ editions of classical texts

Q. Horatii Flacci Carminum liber quartus (1565)

Q. Horatii Flacci Carminum liber quartus, ex antiquiss[imis] manuscriptis codicibus cum commentariis falso adhuc Porphyrioni et Acroni adscriptis, opera Iacobi Cruquii Messinii apud Brugenses litterarum professoris publici editus ; eiusdem in eundem adnotationes (Brugis Fland[rorum], ex officina Huberti Goltzii, MDLXV)

POSSESSION : Paris, BnF, Tolbiac, YC-5903.

LITERATURE : De Schrevel, A.C., Histoire du séminaire de Bruges, I, (Bruges, 1895), p. 266. *Zangemeister, Karl, ‘Ueber die älteste Horazausgabe des Cruquius’, Rheinisches Museum, XIX (1864), 321-339 [with transcription of the privilege (p. 322), the dedication letter (pp. 322-323), and the message to the reader (pp. 323-326)]

Q. Horatii Flacci Epodon liber (1567)

Q. Horatii Flacci Epodon liber, ex antiquissimis septem codicibus manuscriptis, cum commentariis antiquis emendatus et editus opera Iacobi Cruquii Messinii, apud Brugenseis politioris litteraturae professoris publici, eiusdem in eundem adnotationes (Antverpiae, ex officina Christophori Plantini, MDLXVII)

POSSESSION : *Antwerp, MPM, A1699. Antwerp, SBA, C70223 [C2-552f]. Besançon, Bibliothèque municipale d’études et de conservation, 203101. Munich, BSB, A.lat.b. 345 m. Munich, BSB, A.lat.a. 416. Oxford, Christ Church, CHC Spec.Coll. AC.7.14. Oxford, Bodleian, Arch.Jur. III. 7 (1). Oxford, Bodleian, Byw. O 6.2. Paris, BnF, Tolbiac, YC-10714.

REMARKS : According to Zangemeister (p. 321), one of the copies preserved in Munich contains a hand-written dedication by Jacobus Cruquius himself.

CONTENTS : Summa privilegii (verso titlepage), dedication letter (A2r - A5r), poem by Jacobus Cruquius (A5v), epodes (starting A6r), errata (L6v [= p. 172], bottom of the page), privilegium caesareum (L7r - L7v), printers’s colophon (L8r), errata (L8v : identical to the errata on L6v).

Q. Horatii Flacci Satyrarum libri II (1573)

Q. Horatii Flacci Satyrarum, seu potius Eclogarum, libri II, ex antiquissimis undecim codicibus manuscriptis, cum antiquis commentariis, post omneis qui hactenus editi sunt, infinitis locis purgati et clarius explicati opera Iacobi Cruquii Mesinii, apud Brugenseis politioris litteraturae professoris publici, eiusdem in eosdem commentarii (Antverpiae, ex officina Christophori Plantini, MDLXXIII)

POSSESSION : Amsterdam, UB, UBM : O 62-1500. *Antwerp, MPM, A1718. Antwerp, Universiteit Antwerpen, Ruusbroecgenootschap, RG 3116 F 22. Besançon, Bibliothèque municipale d’études et de conservation, 203102. Oxford, Bodleian, Arch.Jur. III. 7 (2). Paris, BnF, Tolbiac, YC-5906.

REMARKS : The copy preserved in Antwerp (MPM : A1718) contains several handwritten emendations, written by Cruquius himself. This is also indicated by a note, bound together with the book, which reads : "Exemplar ab ipso Cruquio emendatum". This is probably a proof version of the book, corrected by Cruquius, and then sent back to Plantin in order to compile the list of "errata" (since the occasional emendations in manuscript also appear in the list with "errata").

LITERATURE : De Schrevel, A. C., Histoire du séminaire de Bruges, I (Bruges, 1895), p. 268 [with partial transcription of the dedication letter to Drusius] ; Paquot, XVIII, 374-376 [transcription of dedication letter to Drusius]

CONTENTS : Privilegii summa (p. 2), dedication letter (pp. 3-13), poem by Cruquius (pp. 14-15), message to the reader (pp. 16-19), text of the satires (pp. 20-462), approbation (p. 462), : "Loca quaedam ab ipso auctore partim emendata, partim aucta, cum eratis operarum" (p. 463)

Q. Horatius Flaccus (1578)

Q. Horatius Flaccus, ex antiquissimis undecim lib[ris] m[anu] s[criptis] et schedis aliquot emendatus et plurimis locis cum commentariis antiquis expurgatus et editus, opera Iacobi Cruquii Mesenii, apud Bruganos politioris litteraturae professoris publici, eiusdem in eundem enarrationes, observationes et variae lectiones, cum aliis quibusdam et indice locupletissimo (Antverpiae, ex officina Christophori Plantini, Architypographi Regii,MDLXXVIII)

POSSESSION : Amsterdam, UB, UBM : OG 63-817. Brugge, Stadsbibliotheek, HF167. *Cambridge, University Library, Keynes.H.4.13. La Rochelle, Médiathèque Michel Crépeau, 14654 C, Fonds ancien. Liège, BU, XVII.150.5. Oxford, Bodleian, BB 26 Art.Seld. Paris, BnF, Tolbiac, YC-3132. Rennes, Bibliothèque de Rennes Métropole, 56700. *Rome, Bibliotheca Angelica, PP.5.33. Toulouse, BM, Fa C 2681, Fonds ancien 2. Wolfenbuttel, HAB, S : Alv. : Kf 145.

CONTENTS : Poem (ii r-ii v), dedication letter to city magistracy (iii r-vi v), message to the reader (vii r), lectiones novae in versibus Horatianis (vii v), dedication letter to Nicolaus a Briarde (viii r - viii v), [pagination starts] opera Horatii (1-248 : carmina ; 249-302 : epoden ; 303-507 : satyrae ; 508-625 : epistolae ; 626-646 : ars poetica), approbation (p. 646, message to the reader (647-648), [pagination stops] Q. Horatii Flacci vita e vestusto codice Bland. Descripta (nn1r-nn3r), index rerum et verborum (nn3v-pp2r), addenda et corrigenda (pp2v), summa privilegii (pp3r), privilegium caesareum (pp3r-pp3v), printer’s colophon (pp4r)

Q. Horatius Flaccus (1579)

Q. Horatius Flaccus, ex antiquissimis undecim lib[ris] m[anu] s[criptis] et schedis aliquot emendatus et plurimis locis cum commentariis antiquis expurgatus et editus, opera Iacobi Cruquii Mesinii, apud Bruganos politioris litteraturae professoris publici, eiusdem in eundem enarrationes, observationes et variae lectiones, cum aliis quibusdam et indice locupletissimo (Antverpiae, ex officina Christophori Plantini, MDLXXVIIII)

POSSESSION : Amsterdam, UB, UBM : OG 63-5223. Antwerp, MPM, A808. Basel, Bibliothek der Universität Basel, CD III 5. Cambridge (MA), Harvard University, Houghton Library, Lh 8.128.45. Groningen, UB, KW B 181. Groningen, UB, RIEDEL A 30. Leiden, UB, 188 C 5. Oxford, Bodleian, Arch.Jur. I. 43. Oxford, Bodleian, Lister F 110. Paris, BnF, Tolbiac, YC-658. Wolfenbuttel, HAB, A : 20.1 Poet.

REMARKS : This edition is identical to the one from 1578. Vandermeersch (NBW XIII, 179) indicates that Plantin made a "new" edition by changing the year of publication and removing the colophon in order to sell the remaining copies of this work at the Frankfurt book fair in 1579.

Ciceronis Oratio Pro T. An. Milone (1582)

M[arci] Tul[lii] Ciceronis Oratio Pro T[ito] An[nio] Milone. Cum enarratione Iacobi Cruquii bonarum litterarum professoris publici Brugis (Antverpiae, ex officina Christophori Plantini, MDLXXXII)

POSSESSION : *Antwerp, MPM, A55. Brugge, Stadsbibliotheek, HF167. Leiden, UB, 573 F 23. Paris, BnF, Tolbiac, X-3116 (3). Rome, Bibliotheca Angelica, TT.5.30.

REMARKS : The copy preserved in Antwerp (MPM, A55) is a special printer copy : from the beginning, until p. 36 (this is : the preliminaries and the text of the oration), each printed page is followed by a blank page. These blank pages remain almost untouched as far as the preliminaries are concerned, but we find numerous manuscript notations (by Cruquius ?) on the same pages between the text of the oration, as well as in the margins of the oration itself. Starting from p. 37 (i.e. starting from the commentary), there are no blank pages, nor manuscript notations.

LITERATURE : Correspondance de Chr. Plantin, ed. J. Denucé (Antwerpen - ‘s Gravenhage, 1918), VII [pp. 45-46 : transcription of the letter to Plantin]. De Schrevel, A. C., Histoire du séminaire de Bruges, I (Bruges, 1895), p. 271 [archival documents about the presentation of this volume to the city magistracy].

CONTENTS : Letter to Plantin (A2r-A2v = pp. 3-4), message to the reader (pp. 5-6), preface (pp. 7-9), M. Tullii Ciceronis Pro T. Annio Milone Oratio (pp. 10-36), commentary of Cruquius (pp. 37-119)

Q. Horatius Flaccus (1597)

Q. Horatius Flaccus cum commentariis et enarrationibus commentatoris veteris et Iacobi Cruquii Messenii, literarum apud Brugenses Professoris. Accesserunt Iani Dousae Nordovicus in eundem commentariolus, una cum Succidanea appendice ad superiorem commentariolum. Item auctarium commentatoris veteris a Cruquio editi (Lugduni Batavorum, ex officina Plantiniana, apud Franciscum Raphelengium, MDIIIC)

POSSESSION : Amsterdam, UB, UBM : OG 63-7049. Amsterdam, UB, UBM : O 62-1330 (1). *Antwerp, MPM, A314 (1). Cambridge (MA), Harvard University, Houghton Library, OLC H780 597 (B). Grenoble, BM, Section d’études et d’information, F.4392, CGA. Groningen, UB, RIEDEL A-6. Leeuwarden, Tresoar, 897 TL. Leeuwarden, Tresoar, BUMA C 1177. Leiden, UB, 5-573 D 2 : 1. Leiden, UB, Bibliotheca Thysiana, THYSIA 1349 : 1. *London, BL, 680.d.26 (1). *London, Warburg Institute, EPH 170. Mesen, Geschiedkundig museum. Nijmegen, UB, 4 c 6. Oxford, Bodleian, BB 82(1) Art. Rouen, BM, O 474, Fonds Cas. Troyes, Médiathèque de l’agglomération troyenne, x.7.885, Belles-lettres.

REMARKS : The copy preserved in the British Library contains numerous marginal notes by Richard Bentley (see introduction).

CONTENTS : Poem (*2r-*2v), dedication letter to city magistracy of Bruges (*3r-**1v), dedication letter to Nicolaus a Briarde (**2r), message to the reader (**2v), Horatii poetae vita per Suetonium Tranquillum … ut a Petro Nannio edita est … (**3r-**3v), Testimonia veterum scriptorum de Q. Horatio Flacco (**3v-**4v), [pagination starts] opera Horatii (1-248 : carmina ; 249-302 : epoden ; 303-507 : satyrae ; 508-615 : epistolae ; 616-646 : ars poetica), message to the reader (pp. 647-648), Iani Dousae Nordovicis in Q. Horatii Flacci novam editionem commentariolus (pp. 649-670 ; introduced by a letter from Ianus Dousa to Victor Giselinus, pp. 649-651), Iani Dousae … ad superiorem commentariolum … adpendix (pp. 671-687 ; introduced by a letter from Ianus Dousa to Christopher Plantin, pp. 671-672), auctarium veteris commentatoris a Iac. Cruquio editi (pp. 688-695 ; introduced by Fr. D. ad lectorem, p. 688), [pagination stops] Q. Horatii Flacci vita e vestusto codice Bland. descripta (pp. 696-700), index rerum et verborum (pp. 701-711).

Q. Horatius Flaccus (1611)

Q. Horatius Flaccus cum commentariis et enarrationibus commentatoris veteris et Iacobi Cruquii Messenii, literarum apud Brugenses Professoris. Accedunt Iani Dousae Nordovicis in eundem commentariolus, una cum Succidanea appendice ad superiorem commentariolum. Item auctarium commentatoris veteris a Cruquio editi ([Lugduni Batavorum], ex officina Plantiniana Raphelengii, MDCXI)

POSSESSION : Amsterdam, UB, UBM : OG 63-508. Amsterdam, UB, UBM : OG 63-4853. *Antwerp, MPM, A319. Brugge, Stadsbibliotheek, 527. Chalons-en-Champagne, BM, Rés. B. 1013, ancien. Den Haag, KB, 1701 D 10 [2]. Deventer, SAB, 5 F 22. Grenoble, BM, Section d’études et d’information, F. 4391, CGA. Groningen, UB, GA A- 26. Groningen, UB, RIEDEL A- 10. Groningen, UB, KW B 135. Leeuwarden, Tresoar, BUMA C 1177a. Leiden, UB, GM 5-573 D 3. Leiden, UB, KL 759 G 54. Maastricht, UB, MU WaF 2 F 7. Namur, BUMP, R17B0050B. Namur, BUMP, R17B0050. Orléans, BM, D1083, Fonds ancien 1. Oxford, Bodleian, Arch.Jur. I. 23. Oxford, Bodleian, Byw. F 2.8. Paris, BnF, Tolbiac,YC-664. Tilburg, UB, KOD 019 G 15. Tilburg, UB, KOD 023 C 15. Toulouse, BU Arsenal, Res Mn 2395. Wolfenbuttel, HAB : A : 6.1 Poet.

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