Henrici Stephani Epistola, qua ad multas multorum amicorum respondet, de suae typographiae statu, nominatimque de suo Thesauro linguae graecae. In posteriore autem ejus parte, quam misera sit hoc tempore veterum scriptorum conditio, in quorundam typographorum prela incidentium, exponit. Index librorum qui ex officina ejusdem Henrici Stephani hactenus prodierunt

Decorative horizontal headpiece featuring floral and foliate scrollwork.

THE LETTER OF HENRI ESTIENNE,
in which he answers the many letters of many friends, concerning the state of his printing house, and specifically concerning his Thesaurus of the Greek Language. In the latter part of it, however, he explains how miserable the condition of ancient writers is at this time, falling as they do into the presses of certain printers.

Decorative drop cap 'I' featuring intricate scrollwork and foliage.I have finally found a way by which I might satisfy you all at once, that is, those of you who have most lovingly written to me, and do so with one and the same effort, and thereby escape the suspicion of either rusticity or arrogance among you. For since it has not been permitted to me before, due to very many and very great occupations, to answer individually those things about which you each wrote, and much less is it permitted at present, I think I have fulfilled the duty of answering each one by writing at least a common letter and sending it to every one of you. But since you all write about the same subject, yet do not write the same things, I will distribute the arguments of your letters into certain classes, as it were, and then answer them one by one.

Therefore, some of you inquire what the status of my printing house is, or certainly in what state my typographic affairs are, and say that you are held by a great desire to know this. Others ask which books have been produced from it to this very day. Others (and these are more curious than the rest) ask me not only about past and present labors, but also about future ones. However, your letters have this in common: they contain many questions about one book in particular, namely, the Thesaurus of the Greek language.