Paradisus Animae Christianae, Lectissimis Omnigenae Pietatis Delitiis Amoenus [Paradise of the Christian Soul] & Manuale Pietatis [Manual of Piety]

Sumpt. Ioannis Kinchii et Sociorum, 1644-01-01. Hardcover. Acceptable. In Latin. 1644 first edition Sumpt. Ioannis Kinchii et Sociorum (Col. Agrippinae [Cologne, Germany]), 3 1/8 x 5 inches tall full leather bound, faded gilt dentelles to front cover and gilt lettering and four raised bands to spine, elaborately engraved title page, eight full-page engravings, [22], [6], 7-522, [4], 60 pp. Lacking half title page, but otherwise complete. Covers rubbed and edgeworn, with fraying to the spine caps and tips. Heavy wear along front hinges, with chipping to the leather at the upper and lower spine. Holes and marks to the covers, especially rear cover, where a clasp closure once was. Old one-inch shelf label to spine. Front cover splays open slightly. Prior owner name in period hand to blank front free-endpaper. Cracking along the gutter between the title page and blank front free-endpaper, but the binding is quite solid. Burning to the fore margin of six leaves (12 pages, pp.408-20), including one of the full-page engravings and the beginning of Chapter 7, not obscuring text or engraving. A few pages with mild creasing or light soiling, and a couple of pages with a short edge tear. Otherwise, a good to very good copy of this rare first edition of one of the most popular Catholic devotional manuals of the 17th through 19th centuries. OCLC (877150798 and 420229078) locates only five copies at institutions worldwide - one each at the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh, University of Aberdeen, Libris in Stockholm, Bibliotheque Municipale in Lyon, France, and the Zentralbibliothek in Zurich, Switzerland. ~SSS~ [1.0P] Jacob Merlo Horstius (1597-1644), born in Horst, Holland (from whence he derives his name), was a prominent doctor of theology known as an effective preacher at the Lyskirchen in Cologne, where he served as pastor. The Paradisus Animae, which has gone through many editions in the original Latin since this 1644 first edition, was long a favorite prayer book among Catholics. Several English translations appeared, one as early as 1670, as 'Paradise of the Christian Soul.' It was translated into French by Nicolaus Fontane, under the title 'Heures Chretiennes, Tirnes de l'Ecriture et des Saints Peres.' In addition, Horstius authored 'Septem Tubae Orbis Christiani,' a compilation from the writings of the fathers, intended for young Roman Catholic priests. He also edited a commentary of Estius on the Pauline Letters; the works of St. Bernard in two volumes, and the works of Thomas a Kempis (with Horstius' commentary).