Bonaventura (Saint) [Meditationes] Vita Christi, collation: [a8] b-m8, 95ff. (of 96, lacking final blank), 32 lines, Gothic type, rubricated, large woodcut printer's device on title, a few marginal notes in ink in an early hand, early 20th century brown morocco, upper cover with on-laid green morocco corners and centre surrounded by gilt gouges, leaves and flowers on stems with a dotted background, lower cover with gilt flower in each corner and cross at centre with small circular white onlay, hearts and dots, spine in 5 panels, lettered in first and second, others with gilt flower, leaves, stems and dots, turn-ins tooled with gilt roll, plain endleaves, g.e., upper hinge broken, 8vo (132 x 91mm.), Paris, Pierre le Dru [for Jacques Moraert], [c.1495].

⁂ This devotional work, traditionally attributed to St. Bonaventura (1221-1274) but probably by the late 14th century Franciscan Johannes de Caulibus of San Gimignano, was immensely popular at the end of the 15th century. It was first printed at Augsburg in 1468, followed by a series of incunabula editions all of which are now rare. According to ISTC this edition is only know in five copies, two at Cambridge, and one each at Yale, Poitiers and Copenhagen.

Provenance: Capuchins of Saint-Trond, Limbourg (ink inscription at head of title).

Literature: Goff (Supp) B-896a; GW 4753; Pellechet 2684; Polain 4089; ISTC ib00896500.