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The oldest book of prophecies in French. From the library of Stanislas de Guaita

[OCCULT SCIENCES].
Livre merveilleux, contenant en bref la fleur et substance de plusieurs traittez, tant des propheties & revelations, qu'anciennes croniques, faisant mention de tous les faictz de l'eglise universelle, comme des scismes, discords & tribulations advenir en l'eglise de Rome, & d'un temps auquel on ostera & tollira aux gens d'eglise & clergé, leurs biens temporelz, tellement qu'on ne leur laissera, que leur viure & habit necessaire. Item aussi est faicte mention, des souverains evesques & papes, qui aprés regneront & gouverneront l'eglise. Et speciallement d'un Pape qui sera appellé Pasteur Angelique. Et d'un Roy de France, nommé Charles, sainct homme. Item, du temps du grand & du dernier Antechrist, & apres sa mort, jusques au dernier jour du Jugement. & en la fin du monde, & quant ce doit estre. De nouvueau a esté adiousté vers la fin une prophetie laquelle demonstre ce qui est advenu depuis le Roy Françoys premier iusques à present & jusques à l'an 1569.

Woodcut printer's device with elephant on title, woodcut headpiece and endpieces, woodcut initials.

Reveu & corrigé par messieurs de la faculté de Theologie de Paris, l'an 1565. Paris, Thibault Bessault, 1565. 8vo. Late 18th-century straight grained red morocco, gilt and decorated spine with title lettered in gold, triple gilt lines along edges of sides, inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, g.e. (DEROME?). Woodcut printer's device with elephant on title, woodcut headpiece and endpieces, woodcut initials. (54) lvs.; collation: A8, BM4, L2.

Extremely rare and much sought after first dated edition of a collection of very intriguing and interesting prophecies relating to the church and the coming of the Antichrist dedicated to Anthoine, duke of Gennes. According to Barbier, it is translated from a Latin manuscript which is being preserved in the library of Lyon. Barbier attributes this manuscript to a 14th-century hermit monk named Tellesforo di Cosenza (1365-86), also named Theolofre or Teleofre de Sances. According to Renouard the translation can be attributed to Guillaume Postel. Barbier only mentions an 1588 edition published by the Parisian printer Jean Bessault. Brunet and Graesse mention our edition as the first edition; further editions: an 1565 edition printed in Paris by G. Guillard, a Paris edition printed by Houic in 1569, an undated and the already mentioned 1588 edition, both printed in Paris by Jean Bessault.
The Bibliographie Astrologie mentions several undated editions and the editions: Paris, Thibault Bessault, 1565 (this copy); Paris, Thibaut Bessault, 1566; Lyon, Benoist Rigaud, 1572 and Paris, Jean Bessault, 1588 (with the date in manuscript). According to the Bibliographie Astrologie there were 3 different issues of our edition containing one, two or three additions. Our copy has all three additions: (1) the 'Prophetie de L'abbe de Cambrezi trouvvee en un vieil exemplaire, laquelle commence au regne du Roy Francois & finissant jusques en l'an 1569' (fol. M3r-M4v), (2) a prophecy by 'Theleffore' or 'Theolofre' for the years 1583-5 (fol. N1r), and (3) 'La prophetie des Agarens ou Mahometains', also for the years 1583-5 (fol. N1v-N2r).
Caillet lists an 1565 edition, printed in Paris by Thibaut Renault and the 1572 edition printed in Lyon. He states that the work is not a translation of the Mirabilis Liber, which is a collection of ancient predictions concerning the Christian saints and the Sibyls. This work focusses on the more recent predictions from the coming of Frédéric, the third king of Aguilon to the era of a Pope who will be named 'Pasteur Angélique' and the future king Charles of France. One can also find a curious calculation from which one can foresee epochs of grand revolutions and changes of dynasty. The coming of de Bourbons together with the entry of Henri IV in 1589 seems to justify this kind of uncommon astrological calculation. 'Les prophéties de cet ouvrage, vu leur date, sont absolument intègres, et n'ont subi aucune altération intéressée' (Caillet).

Provenance:
Our copy belonged to the library of Stanislas de Guaita, the famous French poet based in Paris, with his gilt armorial bookplate pasted on the inside of the front cover. Stanislas de Guaita (1861- 1897) descended of a noble Italian family who had settled in France. He was born in the castle of Alteville. He studied at the Liceo de Nancy where he developed a natural propensity toward the empirical sciences, most notably chemistry, reaching a level of true mastery for his time. Over a period of time he gravitated more toward satisfaction of the artistic and literary spirit that lead him into metaphysics and the study of Kabala. Guaita was an active member of the Rosicrucian Order. He had many disputes with other people who were involved with occultism and magic. Occultism and magic were also part of his novels. Guaita brought together the most extensive private library of writings on metaphysical subjects, magic, and ''secret' sciences in general that could be found in France in that century. In 1899 a catalogue of his books was published by the the Parisian book shop Dorbon, listing over 2000 occult works.

Fine copy.- (With 3 pp. 19th-century ms. annotations in ink and pencil at the end).

Brunet III, col. 1129-30 ('Livre singulier et assez recherché'); Graesse IV, col. 239; Stanislas de Guaita et sa Bibliotheque Occulte (Paris, Dorbon Librarie, 1899); cf. Caillet 6723 (other eds.; 'Le plus ancien recueil de prophéties en langue française que l'on connaisse, bien que son excessive rareté en ait fait un livre à peu près inconnu').; Barbier II, col. 1332 (other ed.); not in Thorndike.

Related Subjects: 16th Century Bindings French Occult Occult Sciences Provenance

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