Les Revelations Celestes et Divines De Sncte Brigitte, Saint Bridget. Provenance

1651 printing of the Revelations of Saint Bridget; a French language edition, printed in Lyon.

Works by Bridget are scarce to the market; at the time of listing this book I can't find another 16th or 17th century Brigittine work available (using Vialibri).

This particular copy's Paris provenance is easy to trace, the title page inscription identifying the Parisian Convent of Mercy (disincorporated, now part of the hotel of Soubise), then an 1844 auction inscription stating it was sold from the Library of the Marquis de Fortia d'Urban; the 1844 catalog of the Marquis' library shows that this book was item #112, and at the time had a parchment binding (the parchment has since been removed from the book).

About Saint Bridget -

"From age 7 on, Bridget had visions of Christ crucified. Her visions formed the basis for her activity—always with the emphasis on charity rather than spiritual favors. She lived her married life in the court of the Swedish king Magnus II. Mother of eight children—the second eldest was Saint Catherine of Sweden—Bridget lived the strict life of a penitent after her husband’s death."

"Bridget constantly strove to exert her good influence over Magnus; while never fully reforming, he did give her land and buildings to found a monastery for men and women. This group eventually expanded into an Order known as the Bridgetines."

"In 1350, a year of jubilee, Bridget braved a plague-stricken Europe to make a pilgrimage to Rome. Although she never returned to Sweden, her years in Rome were far from happy, being hounded by debts and by opposition to her work against Church abuses. A final pilgrimage to the Holy Land, marred by shipwreck and the death of her son, Charles, eventually led to her death in 1373. In 1999, Bridget, Saint Catherine of Siena and Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, were named co-patronesses of Europe." - Saint Bridget of Sweden, Franciscan Media

Bibliographic Details -

Per Brinkerhoff's bibliography - fourth printing of this edition (which was the first French edition of the Revelations, the first printing being in 1624).

Universal Short Title Catalogue (USTC) records four copies of this 1651 printing in the world's libraries - USTC #6158461

Between the 1624, 1649, 1650 and 1651 editions, there are 24 recorded copies, per USTC.

Physical Attributes -

Measures approx. 23 x 17 x 4.5 cm, quarto. Pasteboard binding. Title page with printer's mark. Pages - (xxviii), 670, (26 - index)

Collation - a4, e4, i4, o2, A-Z4, Aa-Zz4, Aaa-Zzz4, Aaaa-Ssss4

Condition -

See pictures. Parchment covering binding removed. Head and tail damage to binding structure (not text block). Removal of parchment tore ex libris ticket on pastedown leaving remnant. Toned and foxed throughout. Some thumbing, dog-eared pages, etc.. Several small graphite marks on printer's mark at title page. Ex libris inscription on title page. Occasional small worming tracks, minor. 3" tear to bottom of 355/56. 1844 auction note at rear blank endpaper.