Apres Dinees Et Propos De Table, Contre L’Execez Av Boire, Et Av Manger.
Saint-Omer, C. Boscard 1624.
8vo (151 x 95 mm.). [xxiv], 679 [r. 680]p. Different woodcut Christograms on the main and divisional titles (the latter dated 1625).
Contemporary vellum over stiff paper boards, evidence of four pigskin ties, green edges.
First Complete Edition of the Jesuit’s first original work. In six postprandial discussions, a prince and his seven dinner guests — a theologian, a canon lawyer, a jurist, a statesman, a physician, a moral philosopher and a historian — consider drunkenness, gluttony and a variety of other topics. These include, i.a., the Dutch countess who birthed 366 children, Mohammad on wine, Japanese and Chinese beverages, and “hair of the dog”. Meanwhile, the court jester mocks temperance, despite the doctor’s lengthy physiological and psychological analysis of the effects of alcohol (117p.).
Balinghem’s Twelve Propositions for Lenten austerity appear here for the first time. A good copy (twelve quires browned), inscription trimmed from the top of main title, initialed acquisition note dated 1802 on the front flyleaf, bookplate of baron Pierre de Crombrugghe.
¶Krivatsy, A Catalogue of Seventeenth Century Printed Books in the National Library of Medicine 627; Oberlé, Bibliothèque bachique 72; Simon, Bibliotheca gastronomica 442; Sommervogel-deBacker, Bibliothèque de la Compagnie de Jésus 834,11; Cioranescu 9417.
Price: $2,500.00