De modo confitendi et puritate conscientiae

Matthaeus de Cracovia / Matthew of Krakow [attr. Thomas Aquinas]

Published by [Jean Barbier] for Denis Roce

Confessionale seu libellus peroptimus beati Thome de aquino de modo confitendi et de puritate conscientie cui libet confessori et consiteri volenti perutilis et necessari' Matthew of Krakow Paris: [Jean Barbier] for Denis Roce, 1497-1505 (see below). Overview: A very rare, incunable/post-incunable copy of a confessional providing guidance for confessors and penitents and the sins to be heard, but also discussing the nature of sins, such as on the "flow of lust", vanity, speaking falsehoods, and other categories. Although the title attributes the work to Thomas Aquinas, the manual is generally accepted to be the work of Matthew of Krakow, a German-Polish priest and scholar who lived in the late 14th and early 15th centuries, and who wrote other theological works such as on the celebration of the mass and the body of Christ. In the work, Matthew of Krakow also describes how complete confession could only be administered when the occasions and causes of sin were also confessed. Extremely popular and widespread from the 14th through 16th centuries, confessional manuals were instrumental not only to define the contours of sin and guidelines for confessors, but to create an understanding and impression of sin on the penitent person so they could better understand, articulate, and (hopefully) avoid sin as described in the manual. **While there are only very few contemporary notations or underlining in the book, a contemporary reader or confessor underlined the words "libidonis motibus", or "lustful movements". Unfortunately, there are no other annotations to suggest a reason! Collation: A very rare edition: Paris: [Jean Barbier] for Denis Roce, (undated but believed to be between 1497 and 1505; [27] leaves, 14x10cm, wanting final blank leaf else complete. Bound in modern 1/4 calf and marbled paper boards. Early ownership or collection mark of "GL" of Koln/Cologne, Germany. Small handful of other early ink ownership marks, a few ink or early stains, old paper crease to a few leaves, but remarkably clean interior, and bright woodcut printer's device on title. BIBLIOGRAPHY: A number of different copies and variants of the title were printed before and after 1500 for Denis Roce (and others), with many being after 1510. This copy, possibly a variant, is most similar in collation and content to that held only by the Bodleian Library and the National Library of Austria. Incunable Short Title Catalog: Types 110G and 62G: see BMC VIII 228 (Sheppard, dating about 1497: D. Shaw assigns the type to Barbier, about 1505; Aquilon dates about 1504 from the state of Roce's device, Goff about 1500. There are differences in transcription between Goff T309 (= Harman and Breslauer List 40 (1971) 17, with plate) and Pell 959 which suggest that these are perhaps two closely resembling editions, rather than variants. Often attributed to Thomas Aquinas or Bonaventura (cf. P. Michaud-Quantin, Sommes des casuistique et manuels de confession au moyen-âge, Louvain, 1962; CIBN). Seller Inventory # ABE-1710639620098

Bibliographic Details

Title: De modo confitendi et puritate conscientiae
Publisher: [Jean Barbier] for Denis Roce
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Very Good