1590 De Bono Status Religiosi, Girolamo Piatti. Sartorius, Ingolstadt.

A handsome quarto printing of this well-regarded work on the benefits of the Christian life, in an attractive and dated 16th century binding.

In 1868 Patrick Mannock authored commentary for De Bono Status Religiosi (which can be seen on Google Books), providing the following introduction to the book:

“A valuable old work, entitled, The Happiness of a Religious State, first written in Latin by one of the Jesuit Fathers, and translated into English in 1632 ; a perfect cyclopaedia of itself on that all important subject. The gifted and, most likely, sainted author quotes largely from the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, as well as from a great number of other ancient writers, eminent for learning and holiness of life. His own reasoning is also terse and conclusive, and such as might be expected from so learned a source, where nearly every chapter abounds with so many passages from the Sacred Scriptures, the writings of the ancient Fathers and others. “

“The Work is divided into three books, in one quarto volume. But first we had better give the last paragraph of the preface to this book, premising that the translator’s style, though antique, will be found clear and impressive, and that the subject is of such importance as to deserve to be perused with deep and intense interest.”

“’Having therefore, ‘ he says, ‘ discoursed in the two preceding books of the advantages, the excellence, and the dignity of a Religious life, we will now, in this third book, show the pleasure which is found in it that every body may see, that all kind of happiness and perfection attend it. And we have somewhat more reason to enlarge on this subject of the sweetness of a Religions state, because it is generally less known; and secular people hardly believe there can be any pleasure in such a life. They will easily grant that a Religious life is an excellent course ; and much more easily will they grant that it is a profitable and safe kind of life for the soul ; but as for pleasure, they utterly deny there is any in it, and rather conceive it to be extremely harsh and full of insupportable difficulties. This error, we have here undertaken to confute, and to prove, that this state is not only pleasant but much more so than a secular life. St. John Chrysostom often spends his eloquence in commendation of a Religious course, and particularly in one of his homilies on St. Matthew, he prefers by far the sweetness of it, to the pleasures of the world, and held in the greatest esteem among worldly-minded people ; to the pageants which were wont to be represented publicly in the Theatres at great cost, and to animal pleasure ; showing clearly that there is as much difference between these two kinds of life and delights, as between the harmony of the Quires of Angels sweetly singing, and hogs in their filth confusedly grunting. And because the cruel and unrelenting Pharoah, (the avowed enemy of man,) never ceases to pursue and molest those that fly from the servitude of the world into the Desert of Religion, either by himself or his followers, armed with weapons of his own forging, we will disarm and take away all the weapons we can from him and them, and show that the deceitful reasons and fallacies with which they are wont to pervert men’s judgments, are of no force or solidity ; to the end that drowning our enemies in the Red Sea, all 'devout souls that either purpose to get out of Egypt or have already got loose and forsaken it, and arrived in the Desert of this happy Land of Promise, may enjoy the pleasures thereof with more satisfaction of mind, and more composed assurance.’”

About the Author -

Girolamo Piatti (1548-1591) was an Italian Jesuit. Among his most important works, which have gained a certain reach, there is also a treatise written in Latin on religious life, De bono status religiosi. The work contains three volumes, Benefits, Dignity and Serenity of the Religious State, and deals with the function of the everyday cleric, dedicated to the service of God and the rejection of material goods, which for Piatti represents Christian perfection.

Provenance -

The ticket of the Bibliotheca Montis Calvariae Wadhurstii is found on the pastedown. Also, the library withdrawal card of Seminarian's Library St. Mary's Derry's Wood on the flyleaf.

Bibliographic Details -

Universal Short Title Catalogue (USTC) number 662795, 16 copies recorded in the world's libraries.

Physical Attributes -

Measures approx. 17 x 21.5 x 4.5 cm. Gatherings of four (quarto). Vellum binding with green cloth ties (mostly expired). Boards decorated with a stamped frame, corner florets and central arabesque; front board with “RFZP MDXC”. Spine with stamped decoration making six compartments with central decorations of fleur-de-lis and leafing acorns. Title in one compartment, in an old hand. Text block edges washed blue. Title page with a printer’s mark.

Pages – viii, 1-682, errata leaf, [12 – “indexrerum”]

Collation - *4, A-Z4, a-z4, Aa-Zz4, Aaa-Qqq4, Rrr2, Sss4, Ttt2

Condition -

See pictures. Binding with a little cockling near corners and edges. A little rubbing to decorations on boards. Cloth ties are still present but unusable. A manuscript title to spine. A label has been applied to the spine, and it is chipped. One small hole (less than 1 cm), in second spine compartment down. Rear board has a little more rubbing near bottom and a repaired crack (circa 1”) at top edge. Text block edges are clean and it doesn’t look like it’s been subject to dust. Library ticket applied to pastedown, and library car on flyleaf. Bookseller and ex libris marks on pastedown and flyleaf.

Text block with a little toning throughout, and occasional fox spots. Title page has a few small ink spots near fore-edge margin. Slightest hint of chipping along title page fore-edge. Occasional dog-eared pages. Occasional moisture mark from edges but likely caused by blue wash applied to text block edges. Occasional ink spots throughout, more towards beginning. Some gatherings toned slightly more than others. Small paper production issue (affects two words) on 213. 1” fore-edge tear to r1. Occasional remnants of the ties placed in the gutter of the text block, loose.