Allgemeine historische Weltbeschreibung, Ioannis Boteri, deß Benesers. In vier Bücher abgetheilt: Im ersten wirdt Europa, Asia, Affrica, und die Sitten, Reichthumb, Gewerb und embsigkeiten aller Nationen und Völcker, deßgleichen die beschaffenheit der Newen Welt. . . und gantzen Inseln beschriben. Im andern wirdt die Macht und gelegenheit der aller fürnembsten Potentaten der Welt entdeckt. Im dritten wirdt gehandlet von dem Standt deß Glaubens, aller und jeder Völcker. Im vierten von den Aberglauben der Völcker der Newen Welt, und durch was beschwerliche mittel die wahre Christliche Religion daselbst eingeführet worden. Durch Ægidium Albertinum. . . vbersetzt. Mit künstlichen Kupfferstücken und eygentlichen Landtaflen geziert
THE TEGERNSEE ABBEY–SIR THOMAS PHILLIPPS–PHILIP ROBINSON COPY
Allgemeine historische Weltbeschreibung, Ioannis Boteri, deß Benesers. In vier Bücher abgetheilt: Im ersten wirdt Europa, Asia, Affrica, und die Sitten, Reichthumb, Gewerb und embsigkeiten aller Nationen und Völcker, deßgleichen die beschaffenheit der Newen Welt, und biß dato erfundenen halb: und gantzen Inseln beschriben. Im andern wirdt die Macht und gelegenheit der aller fürnembsten Potentaten der Welt entdeckt. Im dritten wirdt gehandlet von dem Standt deß Glaubens, aller und jeder Völcker. Im vierten von den Aberglauben der Völcker der Newen Welt, und durch was beschwerliche mittel die wahre Christliche Religion daselbst eingeführet worden. Durch Ægidium Albertinum, Der Fürstl. Durchl. Hertzog Maximilians in Bayrn, &c. Hof-Raths Secretarium, Auß dem Italianischen in die Hochteutsche Sprach vbersetzt. Mit künstlichen Kupfferstücken und eygentlichen Landtaflen geziert. Munich: Nicolaus Heinrich for Anton Hierat, 1611.
Pot folio in 6s (11 5/8” x 7 3/8”, 295mm x 188mm): ):(6 ):():(4 A-Pp6 Qq8 [$4 signed; –):():(4; +Qq5; Ll2 as “L 2”]. 246 leaves, pp. [20] (title-page in red and black, blank, 5pp. dedication, verses, 11pp. index, blank) 1-471 [1] (blank). With five folding engraved maps after Matthias Quad.
Bound in contemporary stabbed and tied vellum (with flattened yapp edges). On the spine, a paper label (above an earlier ink manuscript inscription) with the title and author in ink manuscript. All edges of the text-block stained red.
Splayed and soiled, with the ties mostly perished. Paper label on the spine chipped at the edges. Mildly and evenly tanned, with the odd spot of foxing or soiling. A pale persistent dampstain to the lower edge, almost entirely avoiding the text. Some creasing to the edges of the folding maps. The graphite “MHC” (Middle Hill Collection) of Sir Thomas Phillipps to the front paste-down, with his ink manuscript shelf-mark (“IX.b.12”) below. Ink ownership inscriptions of the Kloster Tegernsee to the title-page: “Mnřij Tegernseensis” and “Mnňï Tegernsee” as well as a manuscript cancellation to the final line of the title (“Mit künstlichen Küpfferstücken…”) with the note “ist nicht zu finden.”[1]
Giovanni Botero (1547–1617) was an Italian Jesuit who, on account of his Relationi Universali (Universal Relations, first published 1591–1598) — of which the present volume is the German translation — is considered the father of demography. Having taught in France during their wars of religion following the death of Henri II, Botero was brought into close contact with the temporal and religious hierarchy of France and later of Italy, where he served as secretary to (now Saint) Carlo Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan. The Universali in four books (a posthumous fifth volume was published in 1894) projects the universal (Catholic) church on the expanding European portrait of the world. Thus the present work, translated into German by Aegidius Albertinus (1560–1620), one of the leading lights of the Counter-Reformation, has been illustrated by five maps after Matthias Quad: a world map plus maps of Europe, Asia, Africa and North America (of which Burden notes a very early depiction of the Mississippi Delta).
Tegernsee Abbey (Kloster or Abtei Tegernsee, dedicated to St. Quirinus) was from 754 to its secularization in 1803 the chief Benedictine community of Bavaria. The present work will have been not only a powerful Catholic voice in the face of Reformation history of the world, but an important geographical source for the scholar-monks. The Abbey, now called Schloss Tegernsee, has been from 1803 the seat of the Dukes in Bavaria (Albertinus was secretary to Maximilian, Duke in Bavaria).
Sir Thomas Phillipps (1792–1872) was the most famous sufferer of bibliomania, and one of the greatest of all book-collectors. His discreet “MHC” (Middle Hill Collection; Middle Hill was his seat in Worcestershire) belies the magnitude of his library, which has been estimated at some 60,000 manuscripts and perhaps 40,000 printed books. His collection was disbursed over a century, finding its way eventually into the collection of Philip Robinson (1902–1991), who from 1946 came into large portions of Phillipps’s books. Robinson, a Newcastle dealer and collector himself, is the namesake of the main library at the University of Newcastle. His collection was disbursed by Sotheby’s London in two parts, the second part being exclusively Chinese; the present item was lot 124 from part I (23 June 1988) of the sale.
Alden-Landis 611/6; Borba de Moraes I:100; JCB3 II:74; Sabin 6808; VD17 23:233078R.
[1] Pace brother librarian, the volume is collated complete against VD17 and Alden-Landis.
Item #JLR0838
Price: $22,000