De Civitate Dei - De Trinitate
“The City of God marks the transition of Christianity from adolescence to maturity. It radically influenced theology and philosophy, political doctrines and economic precepts of the Middle Ages.” (Encyclopaedia of Social Sciences)
The City of God from 1494 in contemporary binding with numerous calligraphic commentaries from the 16th century.
In-folio of 256 ff. in 2 columns.
Pigskin over wooden boards, blind-stamped with vegetal motifs and fleurs-de-lys, raised bands on the spine, remnants of clasps, ink title on the edge, marginal dampstains, boards scratched with losses, spine worn. Contemporary binding.
300 x 218 mm.
Augustine (354-430). De Civitate Dei with commentary by Thomas Waleys and Nicholas Trivet. Fribourg, 1494.
[bound with] De Trinitate. [Fribourg: [Kilianus Piscator (Kilian Fischer)], 1494.
Incunabula edition of Saint Augustine, printed in Fribourg.
Hain *2o68; Trivet, ISTC: ia01246000 & ia01346000; BMC III, 695.
Copy in contemporary binding, extensively annotated at the time.
The volume brings together De Civitate Dei and De Trinitate, with commentaries by Thomas Waleys and Nicolaus.
“In “The City of God” theology is shown in relation to the history of mankind and God’s action in the world is explained. The book remained authoritative until the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when Bossuet was the last “Augustinian” historian. The idea of international law was partly derived from the book; Grotius cites St Augustine. Both Luther and Calvin took Augustine as the foundation of Protestantism next to the Bible itself” (PMM, 3 (for the 1467 edition)).
“‘The City of God’ is the apology for Christianity, written by Saint Augustine (374-430) towards the end of his life. It is at once a philosophy of human society in its historical development, a metaphysics of society, and an interpretation of individual and social life in the light of the fundamental principles of Christianity. This history has exerted a profound influence on every era and on all individuals curious and anxious about their own destiny. This is why, from Bossuet to Balbo, all those who have once again addressed the problem of history have turned to Saint Augustine; this is why, despite the development of theoretical sciences, ‘The City of God’ remains a living book that continues to find readers. It was the first book printed in Italy (1467, at Subiaco) and we know how deeply Humanism felt its charm thereafter, as did the Reformers, Pascal, and Kierkegaard.”
Incunabula edition of The City of God by Saint Augustine, printed in Fribourg, preserved in its contemporary stamped pigskin binding.
Provenance: manuscript annotations from the 16th and 17th centuries - ex-dono in Latin dated August 1, 1506 “a gift from my dear son-in-law Johann Policar” - manuscript note in Latin “bought in 1518 in Wittenberg by Johan Schaweck” - manuscript note in Latin dated May 27, 1574, signed Franz Hofman - library of the Piarists in Altwasser (Czech Republic) by the priest Johann Thadeus Mauer (probably 17th century) - manuscript ex-libris of Georg Freuchen, chaplain at Osoblaha (Czech Republic), probably dating from the end of the 17th century.
