Breviloquium Saint Bonaventure

TITLE: Breviloquium by Bonaventura (St. Bonaventure), Gregorius Böttiger (Leipzig), circa 1495. DESCRIPTION: Chancery 4to (198 x 142 mm). 89 leaves (of 90, lacking a1 title), 32 lines. Capital spaces with printed guide letters, some initials, capital strokes and paragraph marks in red.____CONDITION: C2 with upper margin repair just touching a few letters, a few other leaves with old marginal paper repairs, small worm track to the first few leaves just touching letters, final leaf with inkburn with old repairs to upper margin and touching a few letters. 16th century vellum binding with light, even soiling, lacking ties. Provenance: Contemporary annotation at top of first text leaf; some marginalia in an early hand primarily in the first 10 pages.____DISCUSSION: The Breviloquium has considerable historical significance. It was written by St. Bonaventure in 1257 and it is one of his principal theological works, a handbook of sorts, summarizing many of the important concepts of medieval theology. This is Bonaventure's comprehensive presentation of Christian doctrine in a form suitable for instructional purposes, presenting Christian doctrine to young friars who were entering the order without a large background of theological training. The Breviloquium was first published in either Nuremberg by Johann Sensenschmidt of Eger in 1472 or by Arnold Ther Hoermen in Cologne, ca. 1472. Despite its theological importance in understanding medieval Catholicism, incunabular editions of the Breviloquium are exceedingly rare. The ISTC (Incunabula Short Title Catalogue) locates only 17 copies of this particular edition worldwide, of which only two (including this one) are located in the United States. Only two copies of Böttinger's edition of the Breviloquium have appeared at auction in over a half century. NOTE: International shipping cost is $35 U.S. dollars.