Forum Rare Books

Two 17th-century commentaries on the Ten Commandments and the Seven Sacraments by an Italian Jesuit

ARANEA, Vincenzo. In praecepta decalogi secundae tabulae dicta tractatus.
Including: [IDEM]. Disputationes de sacramentis novae legis.
[L'Aquila, ca. 1640]. 2 volumes. 4to. Written in a neat Italian cursive hand, some parts in other hands. Uniformly bound in contemporary vellum. [8], 270, [4] ll.; [4], 655, [10] pp. Full description

€ 8,500

Jesuits Manuscripts & Documents Religion (17th Century)

California absolutely unfit for habitation

[BAEGERT, Jakob]. Nachrichten von der Amerikanische Halbinsel Californien: mit einem zweyfachen Anhang falscher Nachrichten. Geschrieben von einem Priester der Gesellschaft Jesu, welcher lang darinn diese letztere Jahr gelebt hat.
Mannheim, Churfürstliche Hof und Academie Buchdruckerey, 1772. 8vo. With an engraved folding map and two full-page plates engraved by E. Verelst, some woodcut pictorial frames for letters, and several nice woodcut head- and tailpieces. Contemporary half calf. [16], 358 pp.; [1] errata l. Full description

€ 9,500

Anthropology & Ethnography Jesuits North America

Wonderful mid-seventeenth century account of the Jesuit religious life in Malabar

BARRETO, Francisco. Relatione delle missioni, e christianità che appartengono alla privincia di Malavar della compangia di Giesu.
Rome, Francesco Cavalli, 1645. 8vo. With a woodcut Jesuit device on the title page and two woodcut decorated initials (two different series). Contemporary vellum, with remnants of a manuscript title on the spine. [4], 132 pp. Full description

€ 9,500

India & Sri Lanka Jesuits

Most important work on the Jesuit missionary activities in Goa

BARTOLI, Danielle. Missione al Gran Mogor del P. Ridolfo Aquaviva della Compagnia di Giesu, Sua vita e morte, e d'altri quattro compagni uccisi in odio della fede in Salsete di Goa.
Roma, Per il Varesi, 1663. 8vo. Contemp. vellum. 218, (2) pp. Full description

€ 12,500

India & Sri Lanka Italy Japan & Far East Jesuits

Biography of the well-known martyr Ignacio de Azevedo

BEAUVAIS, Gilles-François. La vie du venerable pere Ignace Azevedo, de la Compagnie de Jesus. L'histoire de son martyre, & de celui de trente-neuf autres de la même Compagnie. Le tout tiré des procès-verbaux dressés pour leur canonisation. Dédiée au Roi de Pologne.
Paris, Hippolyte-Louis Guerin, 1744. 12mo. With engraved armorial headpiece above the dedication to King Stanislaus I of Poland. Contemporary mottled calf, gold-tooled spine, gold fillets on board edges. XLIII, [5], 300 pp. Full description

€ 2,250

Brazil Jesuits Latin America South America

An ounce of peace is better than a pound of victory

BELLARMINO, Roberto. De arte bene moriendi, libri duo.
Venice, Giovanni Tibernino, 1746. Agenda 12mo (16 x 8 cm). Contemporary sheepskin parchment. 216 pp. Full description

€ 400

Jesuits

Jesuit letters from Hormuz Island and the East Indies

[BERSE, Gaspar, Francis XAVIER etc.]. Epistolae Indicae et Iapanicae de multarum gentium ad Christi fidem, per Societatem Iesu conversione.
Louvain, Rutger Velpius, 1570.
With: (2) GARETIUS, Johannes. De sanctorum invocatione liber...
Ghent, Gislenus Manilius, 1570.
2 works in 1 volume. 8vo. Ad 1 with the title-page in a frame built up from fleurons, and a woodcut publisher's device on last blank, ad 2 with the title-page in a frame built up from fleurons, the woodcut coat-of-arms of Cunerus Petri (bishop of Leeuwarden) on the back of the title-page and on the last leaf a woodcut printer's device within a frame built up from fleurons.
Contemporary limp vellum sewn on 3 leather supports laced through the joints, with the manuscript title on the spine, leather ties, red edges. [24], “361”[=316], [20] pp.; [16], 103, [9] ll. Full description

€ 19,500

Arabian Peninsula & Gulf States Early Printing - 16th century India & Sri Lanka Indonesia / Dutch East Indies Iran / Persia Jesuits Literature Religion (16th Century) Southeast Asia

Letters from Hormuz Island, the East Indies and Japan

[BERSE, Gaspar, Francis XAVIER et al.]. Epistolae Indicae et Iapanicae de multarum gentium ad Christi fidem, per Societatem Iesu conversione. Item de Tartarorum potentia, moribus, & totius penè Asiae religione. Tertia editio cum indice castigatior & auctior.
Including: Epistolae Iapanicae, de multorum in variis insulis gentilium ad Christi sidem conversione.
Leuven, Rutger Velpius, 1570. 2 parts in 1 volume. 8vo. Each part with woodcut publisher's device on last blank. Contemporary limp sheepskin parchment. [24], 361[=316], [20]; 401[=399], [25] pp. Full description

€ 19,500

Arabian Peninsula & Gulf States Church History & Missions Early Printing - 16th century India & Sri Lanka Iran / Persia Japan & Far East Jesuits Literature Religion (16th Century)

The important letters from Japan, 1625-1627 in the first and only edition in French

BONELLI, Jean-Baptist & Jean VIREAU (ed. & translator). Histoire de ce qui s'est passé au royaume du Japon, es annees 1625. 1626. & 1627.
Paris, Sebastian Cramoisy, 1633. 8vo. With woodcut printer's device of Cramoisy on the title, several woodcut headpieces. Beautiful 19th-century green morocco, spine richly gilt in compartments, with title lettered in gold, triple gilt lines along the edges of both covers, inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, gilt edges. [7] 1 blank, 465 (=485) pp. Full description

€ 17,500

Church History & Missions Japan & Far East Jesuits Latin America South America

The most important early account of Indochina

BORRI, Cristoforo. Relatione della nuova missione delli pp. della Compagnia di Giesu, al regno della Cocincina, scritta dal padre Christoforo Borri Milanese della medesima Compagnia, che fù uno de primi ch'entrarono in detto Regno. Alla santita di N. Sig. Urbano PP. Ottavo.
Rome, Francesco Corbelletti, 1631. 8vo. With a woodcut Jesuit IHS device on the title-page and woodcut decorated initials. Contemporary vellum with the manuscript title on the spine. 231, [1 blank] pp. Full description