Early Printing & Manuscripts / Religion & Devotion

[BECKET, Thomas à (subject)]. [Diego Afonso de MIRANDA, translator]. Historea da vida e martyrio do glorioso Sancto Thomas Arcebispo, Senhor de Cantuaria, Primas de Inglaterra, legado perpetuo da sancta see apostolica, trelada da novamente de Latim em lingoagé Portugues.
(Colophon: Coimbra, João Alvarez, printer to the University, 12 November) 1554. 4to. With several woodcut decorated initials. With the 4 preliminary leaves in facsimile. 20th-century Portuguese tree calf, gold-tooled spine, red spine label, brown sprinkled edges, marbled endpapers. [8], “CCCI” [= 303], [1 blank], [20] pp. Full description

[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

[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.
Louvain, Rutger Velpius, 1570. 2 parts in 1 volume. 8vo. With general title page and a title page for the second part, both in a frame built up from fleurons, and each part with woodcut publisher's device on last blank and numerous decorated woodcut initials. Including: Epistolae Iapanicae, de multorum in variis insulis gentilium ad Christi sidem conversione.
Contemporary limp sheepskin parchment, traces of ties. [24], 361 [= 316], [20]; 401 [= 399], [25] pp. Full description

[BIBLE - DUTCH]. Biblia. Dat is, de gantsche H. Schrift, grondelick ende trouwelick verduytschet.
Delft, Bruyn Harmansz. Schinckel (colophon: printed by Aelbrecht Heyndricksz.), 1590. 4 parts in 1 volume. 4to (23.5 x 17.5 cm). With a general title-page and three part-titles, each with the same woodcut device in a separate elaborately decorated cartouche, 3 engraved folding maps drawn by Petrus Plancius and executed by Baptista van Doetecum and ca. 20 woodcut illustrations in the text. Contemporary gold panel-stamped and gold-tooled calf over wooden boards, with spectacular finely engraved silver furnishings: 8 corner pieces, 2 clasps, 2 catch plates and 2 anchor plates, the catch and anchor plates with four female virtues; the corner pieces engraved with winged heads that appear to represent the four compass winds; and each clasp with an oval martyrdom scene flanked by birds, all 14 pieces of silverwork with floral and other decoration and with their edges cut to decorative shapes. Each board has the same central rectangular panel-stamp (98 x 61 mm), with an oval scene of Charity or Love/Caritas, with strapwork decoration around the oval (containing the maker's initials B and H) and inside the rectangle; gilt and elaborately gauffered edges. Rebacked in gold-tooled calf. [20], 236; 92; 84; 108, [54] ll. Full description

[BIBLE - DUTCH - VULGATE]. Biblia sacra. Dat is de geheele heylighe schrifture bedeylt int out ende nieu Testament: van nieus met groote neersticheyt oversien, ende naer den lesten Roomschen text verbetert door sommighe doctoren inder Heyligher Godtheyt inde vermaerde universiteyt van Loven.
Antwerp, (colophon: printed by Daniel Vervliet and Hendrik Swingen for) Jan I Moretus & Jan I van Keerberghen, 1599. 2 volumes bound as 1. Folio. With an engraved title page (coloured by a contemporary hand with extensive use of gold) showing Moses on the left, David on the right, and the four evangelists below, and 90 woodcuts in the text of both the Old and the New Testament, all except one vividly coloured by a contemporary hand. Contemporary richly blind-tooled calf over wooden boards, sewn on 5 supports, with brass catchplates, remnants of leather strap fastenings, brass corner pieces on all corners and a brass centrepiece on each board, all with brass bosses. [4], 410; [106] ll. Full description

[BIBLE]. ESTIENNE, Robert (editor). Biblia breves in eadem annotationes, ex doctis ...
Including:
- Hebraica, Chaldaea, Graecáque & Latina nomina virorum ...
- Index rerum et sentiarum quae in Veteris & novi testamenti libris continentur.
Paris, Roberti Stephani [= Robert Estienne], 1532. 4 parts in 1 volume. Folio. With Estienne's large olive-tree device on the general title page and the divisional titles of parts 3 (interpretatio) and 4 (index) page, a woodcut decorative border around the word "Biblia" on the general title page, and 79 decorated metalcut (criblé) initials. Modern gold-tooled brown calf, with the title lettered in gold on the spine, red sprinkled edges. [10], 388; 94; 37; 57, [1], [1 blank] ll. Full description

[BIBLE - NEW TESTAMENT - LATIN]. Novum Jesu Christi Testamentum.
Antwerp, Christophe Plantin, 1564[-1565].
With: (2) [INDEX]. Hebraea, Chaldaea, Graeca, et Latina nomina virorum, mulierum, populorum, idolorum, urbium, fluviorum, montiu[m], caeterorumq.; locorum quae in Bebliis sparsa leguntur ... cum Latina interpretatione: additis etiam Bibliorum locis in quibus ita scripta legu[n]tur: qua in re interpretationem quae in Bibliis Compluti excusis erat ....
Antwerp, Christophe Plantin, 1565. With Hebrew and Greek types.
2 works in 1 volume, the 1st in 2 parts. 16mo (11.2 x 7.2 cm). Contemporary blind- and gold-tooled calf. 316, [68]; [111] [1 blank] ll. Full description

[BIBLE - PSALMBOOK]. PSALTERION. Prophetou kai Basileoos tou David [in Greek type] - Davidis Regis ac Prophetae Psalmorum Liber. Ad exemplar Complutense.
Antwerp, Christophe Plantin, 1584. 16mo (11,8 x 8 cm). With woodcut printer's device on the title-page, text is partially printed in Greek. Late seventeenth-century dark brown calf, with gold-stamped coat of arms of Pierre-Daniel Huet on both covers and gold-tooled dubbel-lined borders on covers and spine, (remnants of) red speckled edges. 267, [13] pp. Full description

[BINDO GUERRI of Siena] with a prologue by Antonius de RAMPIGOLLIS. Reportatorium Biblie aureum [= Biblia aurea].
[Augsburg], [printing office of the Abbey of Saints Ulrich and Afra], [in the period 1473 to early 1475]. Chancery (Foolscap) folio (28 x 22 cm). With the title in a note following the prologue, at the foot of the first page (and abbreviated at the end of the book), a 2-page alphabetical table of contents and the main text comprising 139 entries.
Burgundy goatskin morocco (ca. 1890?). With the armorial bookplate of Robert Proctor. [231], [1 blank] pp. Full description

BOCKENBERG, Pieter Cornelisz. Catalogus & brevis historia pontificum Ultraiectensium. Item catalogus & brevis historia antistitum Egmondanorum.
Leiden, Jan Jacobsz. Paets, 1586 (Colophon: 'Extant Goudae, apud Leonardum Theodori Librarium, ad pontem Hornensem'). Small 8vo. [16], 99, [12] [1 blank] pp. Full description