Religious satire.

Menudencias Bernardicas da Elegancia Claravalica Labaredas do engenho, brazinhas da habilidade, faiscas do Juizo, cagalumes da discripsas, ou Luzicos do discurso, q[ue] náo quero dizer perilampos pequenos da cachimonia, bocados do entendimento, migalhas do miolo, pingas do cerebro, epartos do craneo.

“Venice” [Portugal], “Baglioni” 1747.

4to (206 x 146 mm.). MANUSCRIPT. [xiv], [89], [3 blank], [15], [1 blank], [9], [1 blank], [41], [1 blank], [23], [1 blank], [29], [7 blank], [23], [8 blank], [17]p. In a single cursive hand in red and brown inks, partly in two columns.

Contemporary blind-ruled sheep (worn), gilt spine and title (gilt rubbed), marbled pastedowns.

            THIS ANTHOLOGY OF PORTUGUESE ANTICLERICAL LITERATURE mocks the Cistercians and explicitly targets the religious community of Alcobaça (est. 1153), one of the richest and most powerful Iberian monasteries.
            Sermons full of erotic innuendos address female religious communities. Fictitious correspondence and hundreds of lewd jokes ridicule THE MONKS’ STUPIDITY, IGNORANCE, INEPTITUDE AND HOMOSEXUALITY. A spoof Holy Office in Portuguese and Macaronic Latin praises wine, drunkenness and Bacchus. A verse funeral oration for “Lord Parrot of Mount Carmel”, i.a., lists seventy bird species. The fake “imprint” assigns the book to one of the most prestigious printers of liturgical texts. Much of this material was not printed until 1841: some remains unpublished.
            Lower outer corners soiled, a dozen ?blank leaves excised at the beginning and end of the volume (text complete), the last line of one page trimmed away and those on four others shaved, catchwords and one shoulder note shaved.
¶See Innocêncio da Silva’s Diccionário bibliographico portuguez VII: 41 (As verdadeiras bernardices, 1841).

Item #12164

Price: $4,800.00