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Illustrated Spanish book on the Sybils prophesying the coming of Christ

PORRENO, Balthasar.
Oraculos de las doce Sibilas. Profetisas. de Christo nostro Senor entre los gentiles. Por el licenciado Balthasar Porreno natural de la Ciudad de Cuenca cura de las villas de Sacadon y Corcoles.

Engraved title-page in architectural setting with two antique columns at either side and a coat of arms at the top, 12 full-page woodcuts of the 12 sybils in medallions with inscription and with 4 lines of poetry printed in italic underneath, all text pages printed within double printed lines.

Engraved title-page in architectural setting with two antique columns at either side and a coat of arms at the top, 12 full-page woodcuts of the 12 sybils in medallions with inscription and with 4 lines of poetry printed in italic underneath, all text pages printed within double printed lines.

Engraved title-page in architectural setting with two antique columns at either side and a coat of arms at the top, 12 full-page woodcuts of the 12 sybils in medallions with inscription and with 4 lines of poetry printed in italic underneath, all text pages printed within double printed lines.

Engraved title-page in architectural setting with two antique columns at either side and a coat of arms at the top, 12 full-page woodcuts of the 12 sybils in medallions with inscription and with 4 lines of poetry printed in italic underneath, all text pages printed within double printed lines.

Engraved title-page in architectural setting with two antique columns at either side and a coat of arms at the top, 12 full-page woodcuts of the 12 sybils in medallions with inscription and with 4 lines of poetry printed in italic underneath, all text pages printed within double printed lines.



Cuenca, Domingo de la Iglesia, with the type of P. de Torres, 1621. 4to. Contemporary limp vellum, rests of ties. Engraved title-page in architectural setting with two antique columns at either side and a coat of arms at the top, 12 full-page woodcuts of the 12 sybils in medallions with inscription and with 4 lines of poetry printed in italic underneath, all text pages printed within double printed lines. (7), 72 leaves.

Original edition of this curious Spanish book on the oracles and prophesies of the Sybils, interpreted in a Christian direction and sense. Every prophesy, announcing the coming of Christ and the foundation of the Catholic church, is explained to the author. The original prophesies are printed below the portraits of the Sybils in four Latin verses, with the Spanish (Castillian) translations printed in italics on the facing pages, followed by the historical, religious and literary interpretations and comments.
The preliminaries, consisting of the title-page, the privilege of the king, signed by Pedro de Contreras, and approbations on f.(2)r-(4)v, follow the dedicatory letter by Porreno to Don Lorencio de Figueroa on f.(5)r, the prologue on f.(5)v, and sonnets and poems for the author by Francesco Porreno Ivan de Quinones, Julian de Cuenca and Alonso Palomero on f.(6)r-(7)v. The introduction on the Sybils in general is on f.1r-7r, followed by the descriptions of the twelve sybils, preceded by an engraved portrait of each of them: the Sybilla Persica, Libica, Delphyca, Cumana, Europa, Cumea, Tiburtina, Phrigia, Egypcia, Samia, Hellespontica and Erithrea.
These descriptions are a kind of literary, historical and theological commentaries on the prophesies. On f. 72r is the table of contents and on the verso the colophon. The engravings are executed in a naive, popular and almost expressionistic manner.

Good copy of this rare and unusual book; ownership's entry on the title: 'Don Diego de Pena Sossal' (?).- (left hand borders of the first two leaves, including the title-page, weak, with some loss of text).
Palau 233075.

Related Subjects: Classical Antiquity  Mythology  Poetry  Portraits 

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