A Grand Tour Treasure: Suetonius’ Opera


February 2026

Few books encapsulate the intellectual ambition and romantic intrigue of the late eighteenth century quite like this 1690 Utrecht edition of Suetonius’ Opera, edited with commentary by Samuel Pitiscus. Yet this volume offers far more than classical scholarship. It bears the inscriptions of Sir William Hamilton and, more evocatively still, Lady Emma Hamilton, dated Naples, 1797.

On the endpapers, Sir William signs simply: “William Hamilton / Napoli.” Emma follows with her own signature and the touching note: “Given me by my dear Sir William / Napoli.” That date places the book at the very centre of one of the most dramatic and fascinating chapters in British cultural and political history. This spectacular piece of history is Lot 8506 (£5,000-10,000) in The Grand Tour sale which ends Friday 20 February. 

Classical Rome and the Enlightenment Mind

The 1690 edition of Suetonius was no ordinary printing. Samuel Pitiscus’ scholarly commentary made it a landmark of seventeenth-century classical study. Suetonius’ biographies of the Roman emperors had long served as a mirror for European rulers and thinkers, offering cautionary tales of power, corruption and virtue.

For Sir William Hamilton, diplomat, antiquarian and passionate collector, such a text would have been essential reading. As British envoy to Naples for over three decades, Hamilton immersed himself in the study of classical civilisation. His renowned collections of Greek vases and antiquities helped shape Britain’s understanding of the ancient world and fuelled the taste for classical revival that defined the Grand Tour generation.

This volume perfectly reflects that world of cultivated enquiry and Enlightenment curiosity.

Lady Emma Hamilton: From Humble Beginnings to European Celebrity

If Sir William represents scholarship and diplomacy, Lady Emma Hamilton embodies the extraordinary social mobility and theatrical charisma of the age.

Born Amy Lyon in 1765 to modest circumstances, Emma rose through determination, beauty and remarkable intelligence to become one of Europe’s most talked about women. Before her marriage to Sir William Hamilton in 1791, she had already moved within artistic and aristocratic circles. In Naples she transformed herself into a cultural phenomenon through her celebrated “Attitudes” - dramatic, living tableaux inspired by classical art, in which she posed as figures from antiquity. Artists, aristocrats and visiting Grand Tourists were captivated.

Emma became not only the wife of Britain’s envoy but a diplomatic asset in her own right. Her close friendship and later relationship with Admiral Horatio Nelson placed her at the heart of Britain’s struggle against Napoleonic France. During the political turmoil of 1798 and the Neapolitan Revolution, Emma played a vital role in supporting the British fleet and influencing events at court.

By 1797, the year inscribed in this book, Emma was at the height of her influence and notoriety. Naples was alive with political tension, artistic patronage and shifting alliances. Within that charged atmosphere, this scholarly volume passed between husband and wife, an intimate gesture amidst public drama.

A Book of Empire & Romance

If The inscriptions transform this volume from a fine classical edition into a deeply personal historical artefact. Emma’s affectionate dedication, “Given me by my dear Sir William,” suggests a private exchange within a household that was anything but ordinary. By 1797, the Hamilton residence in Naples had become a meeting point for diplomats, artists, collectors and naval officers, a place where politics, culture and classical learning intertwined.

In that setting, discussions of ancient Rome were not distant scholarship but living reference points for a generation confronting empire, revolution and national identity. To hold this book is to glimpse that world: a classical text studied by a renowned antiquarian, passed to a woman who had reinvented herself and come to influence political alliances, present in Naples at a moment when Britain’s destiny was being shaped on sea and shore.

Its documented provenance further strengthens its importance. By descent to a cousin in Edinburgh, as recorded by the bookseller Andrew Baxendine in 1892, and later handled by George Bayntun of Bath, the volume has been carefully preserved and recognised for its significance across centuries. Bound in full calf with ribbed spines and gilt lettering, it retains a dignified presence befitting both its scholarly weight and its remarkable association.

Within the context of our Grand Tour Sale, this is not simply a first edition of Suetonius. It is a convergence of classical learning, Enlightenment enquiry, diplomacy, romance and revolution. Few objects so elegantly unite the world of antiquity with the drama of Georgian Britain.
Its documented provenance further strengthens its importance. By descent to a cousin in Edinburgh, as recorded by the bookseller Andrew Baxendine in 1892, and later handled by George Bayntun of Bath, the volume has been carefully preserved and recognised for its significance across centuries. Bound in full calf with ribbed spines and gilt lettering, it retains a dignified presence befitting both its scholarly weight and its remarkable association.

Within the context of our Grand Tour Sale, this is not simply a first edition of Suetonius. It is a convergence of classical learning, Enlightenment enquiry, diplomacy, romance and revolution. Few objects so elegantly unite the world of antiquity with the drama of Georgian Britain.

The book (Lot 8506) features in The Grand Tour auction, a carefully curated sale celebrating classical taste, travel, antiquarianism and the enduring influence of the ancient world on European culture. The sale presents a range of works of art, books and objects shaped by the spirit of eighteenth century exploration and collecting.

Bidding is now open, and the sale concludes on Friday 20 February. For further information, condition reports or to discuss the piece in more detail, please contact our specialist team.
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