L'Imitation de Jesus-Christ

Paris: L. Curmer, editeur, 1856-01-01. Hardcover. Acceptable. In French. 1856 first edition thus L. Curmer, Editeur (Paris), 6 5/8 x 10 1/8 inches tall full embossed leather gilt-ruled 'cathedral binding,' gilt decoration and gilt-lettered red leather labels to spine, all page edges gilt, green marbled endpapers, extra engraved chromolithograph (pink, red and blue) title page, text framed by elaborate engraved border, ten full-page engravings by renowned French artist Tony Johannot (1803-1852), viii, 454 pp. Covers rubbed and edgeworn, with cracking to the leather top the top two inches and bottom 1/2-inch of the front hinge and 1/2-inch to top of rear hinge. Front board has a bit of looseness, but holds firmly. Bookplate of German-Austrian book publisher and distributor Gottlieb Haase Sohne to front pastedown. Light foxing to front and rear prelims, including title pages and first full-page engraving. The rest of the volume has only traces of marginal foxing. A couple of the full-page engravings lack a tissue guard. Otherwise, a very good copy - clean, bright and unmarked - of this scarce, handsomely-illustrated Curmer edition. Note that this is a heavy and oversized book, so additional postage will be required for international or priority orders. ~KM4~ A translation into French by Fr. Pierre Neree Dasance (1805-1865) of the devotional classic, 'The Imitation of Christ,' written in Latin by Catholic monk Thomas Kempis (circa 1380-1471), as four separate books completed between 1420 and 1427, at Mount Saint Agnes monastery, in the town of Windesheim, located in what is now the Netherlands. He wrote these works for the instruction of novices of his Augustinian monastic order, followers of Geert Groote's Brethren of the Common Life. But the writings quickly became popular among all the literate faithful. There is probably no other book apart from the Bible which has been printed in so many editions and translations.