Printed by the Papal Printer

Romæ: Apud Antonium Bladum, Impressorem Cameralem, Anno D[omi]ni. M.D.LXVI. [1566]. 162 x 106 mm (6 ¼ x 4 ¼ in). Octavo. 144, 137, [1], 98 ll. In Latin. Half-page woodcut vignette of St. Augustine above title.

Full vellum over boards. Gilt tooled spine with red leather title label. Early label removed from front pastedown. Two ink stamps on title page, both partially canceled. Previous owner’s autograph on title page: ​“Usum f. Joa[n]nis filij [?]” Leaves leading with caption titles have separate foliation: ​“Incipiunt constitutiones sororum ordinis predicatorum” and ​“Formularium, principalium actuum, ad officium prioris provincialis et conventualis ordinis praedicatorum spectantium.” 1 ½ by 2 inch pasted in contemporary illegible note on pg. 2.

Overall very good plus; light discoloration to pages. 

The rules and constitution of the Augustinian order. Augustinians are members of a Catholic order that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written in about 400 AD by Augustine of Hippo. Martin Luther was an Augustinian friar from 1505 until his excommunication in 1520, and thus these are the very rules that Luther turned against.

This book contains the laws and rules of the Augustinians in the 16th century with chapter topics such as: [“About the office of the teacher and the orders of preachers.”], [“About the office of the singer”], [“About the office of librarian”]—in total 47 different formal ​“offices” are defined and explained. There is a 26-page alphabetic index to the order’s constitution, which follows the constitution itself; a list of the first teachers of the order; and a [“Treatise on the beginning and foundation of the rule, or the form or manner of living of the brothers and sisters”]. Interestingly, the book discusses the rules and regulations governing both male and female Augustinians.

Printed by the Papal printer. Printed by Antonio Blado (1490–1567), a printer active from 1516 and official Papal printer from 1535 to his death in 1567. This book printed in 1567, would have been one of his last. Blado is known for holding the exclusive privilege granted by Pope Clement vii in 1531 to print Machiavelli’s works.

Scarce. OCLC WorldCat reports only two copies in u.s. libraries (80738083 and 223769428) at the time of cataloguing. No other copies for sale at the time of cataloguing.

USTC 827292

EDIT16 17508