DESIDERIUS. [SPILL DE LA VIDA RELIGIOSA], FIRST EDITION IN IRISH, 1616

8vo, first edition in Irish, eighteenth-century half calf, spine gilt, red morocco lettering-piece, red edges

The Library of the earls of Macclesfield, armorial bookplate, library stamps, sale at Sotheby's, Part Eight, 25/26 October 2006, lot 2615

STC 6778; Allison & Rogers 151; Shaaber 343

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing where appropriate
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NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

FIRST EDITION IN IRISH OF THIS IMPORTANT WORK OF SPIRITUALITY. It was first published anonymously in Catalan (Barcelona, 1515) under the title Spill de la vida religiosa (Palau 321561; Norton 126, 1 copy known), and attributed by some to Ramón Miguel y Planas, and others (erroneously) to Miguel Comalada, a monk of the Hieronymite monastery of Vall de Hebron near Barcelona. The work was translated into Spanish first as Espejo de religiosos, Seville, 1530, 1535), and then as El desseoso. Tratado llamado el Deseoso, y por otro nombre Espejo de religiosos (from 1536). In 1542 was added a sixth part (Toledo: Juan de Ayala). This was reprinted in Burgos by Juan de Junta in 1548 and 1554, and in Salamanca by Lucas de Junta in 1574 (Pettas 253, 327 & 506). There is a Lisbon edition in Spanish of 1588 (Anselmo 6). Under the title Desyderius, sive expedita ad divinum amorem via, it was translated into Latin by van der Meer (Louvain 1554), into Italian as Il desideroso specchio de la vita religiosa (1541, reprinted 1543,1549, and 7 more times before 1600), and into Dutch and Polish (1589). There were four versions into English, printed in 1596 (STC 24208), a manuscript late sixteenth-century version (1596-1605) by one I.G. Prisoner, found in a manuscript at Oscott, and two more printed editions (1604 and 1625 (Allison & Rogers 889-890; STC 6777 etc.). There was a later edition in 1717.

The translator Conry (or Conroy) was an Irish Franciscan and Archbishop of Tuam (1560/1-1629), who was born in Galway and died in Madrid. An ardent Irish patriot, he was involved in Tyrone's rebellion and in other Irish movements, and founded the Irish Franciscan College at Louvain, largely with monies provided by Isabella, the daughter of Philip II of Spain. After Conry's death were published his Peregrinus Ierichuntinus, hoc est, De natura humana feliciter instituta, infeliciter lapsa, miserabiliter vulnerata, misericorditer restaurata (Paris, 1641), translated into French in 1645, as well as some other works. His Tractatus de statu paruulorum sine baptismo decedentium ex hac vita (Louvain, 1624; Allison & Rogers 267) was reprinted there in 1641, and appended also to the Augustinus of Jansenius the Bishop of Ypres, who had been a friend (Rouen 1643).

In translating El Deseoso, which seems to have been done from the Latin edition of van der Meer, he is said to have left out various passages from the original, and to have made considerable additions. He intended the work to encourage Irish Catholics to remain steadfast in the face of religious persecution. There have been modern reprints and editions of this Irish edition.