SCHENCK DE TAUTENBURCH, Fredericus.

Enchiridion veri praesulis secundum apostolicam traditionem.

      Four rare post-incunables in defence of the Catholic faith, printed in Antwerp Antwerp, Michiel Hillen van Hoochstraten, 1526. 8vo. Nineteenth century three-quarter calf, spine lettered in gold, marbled sides. Title within fine woodcut border; the block at the bottom with the portrait of Virgilius Maro in a roundel; some woodcut initials. 28 lvs. with the final blank. (2) ISIDORUS Hispalensis. De officiis ecclesiasticis libri duo ante annos D. CCCC. ab eo aediti, & nunc ex vetusto codice in lucem restituti. Antwerp, Johannes Graphaeus for Johannes Steelsius, 1534. 8vo. With one woodcut initial. (48) lvs.(3) WICELIUS, Georgius. Loci ex sacris literis de bonis operibus.Ad haec praeconium Evangelicae gratiae. Theies aliquot. Praecatio pro ecclesia. Matth. v. Quisquis fecerit & docuerit, hic magnus vocabitur in regno coelorum. Antwerp, Johannes Graphaeus for Johannes Steelsius, 1534. 8vo. With some woodcut initials. 72 lvs.(4) AMBROSIUS. De his qui mysteriis initiantur, cum nonnullis aliis hac tempestate scitu dignissimis. Claruit sub Theodosio imperatore clementissimo. Anno domini CCCLXXX. Antwerp, Johannes Graphaeus for Johannes Steelsius, 1534. 8vo. With some woodcut initials. 52 lvs. Four rare post-incunables clearly bound together with the intention to form a collection of texts in defence of the Catholic faith and its liturgy against Lutheranism and to serve as an example for good and just behaviour for priests to purify the widely corrupted practice. All treatises are the only editions published in the Netherlands in the period 1500-1540, all printed in Antwerp by the most important printers/publishers active there: Michiel Hillen van Hoochstraten and Johannes Steelsius. The present copy of the treatise by Schenck van Tautenburch even is the second copy recorded of the only known edition.Ad 1: Only edition of this treatise on the way a bishop has to act and to behave to serve as an example for his subjects. Frederick Schenck van Tautenburg (1503-1588) published this treatise in the year he was appointed Councillor of the Emperor Charles V. In 1528, however, he was ordained priest and became deacon of the Cathedral and arch-deacon of St. Peter in Utrecht. Later he became the last arch-bishop of Utrecht before the Reformation (1562-1580). Only one other copy of this only edition of this treatise is known to exist: in the library of the Cathedral of Strängnäs in Sweden.Ad 2: Edition of the treatise on the ecclesiastical offices and duties in the form of a letter to bishop Fulgentius, by Isidorus Hispalensis (ca. 560-636), one of the 'Doctors of the Church' and author of the famous Etymologiarum libri XX. The treatise is edited by Johann Cochlaeus (1479-1552), who wrote also a preface, dated Dresden, 30 December 1533. NK mentions five copies: The Hague RL, London BL, Freiburg, Cologne and the Franciscans in Düsseldorf.Ad 3: Treatise on the 'Good works', based on texts from the Bible by Georg Witzel, or Wichelius (1501-1573), a correspondent of Erasmus as well as Johann Cochlaeus. The text is clearly directed against Lutheranism . NK mentions only two copies: London BL and Utrecht UL.Ad 4: One of the most important works by Ambrosius (ca. 340-397), one of the four Fathers of the Western Church known under the title De Mysteriis (on the Sacraments and the liturgy of the Mass and behaviour of priests). NK mentions a private owned copy and three copies in the Brussels RL, Oxford Bodl. Library and Cambridge UL. Very good copies of these four treatises, forming together a coherent collection. The book was till 1863 in the library of Trinity College at Glanalmond, near Edinburgh (founded in 1847, now Glenalmond College). In that year the book was bought (?) by Alex Thomson(grant?), possibly Alex Thomson (1817-1875), the 'Greek Thomson', a famous architect from Glasgow who followed the principles of Greek architecture. Probably the impression of a seal in black wax on the verso of the front cover (ca. 18 x 15 mm), with a bishop surrounded by a Greek text is Thomson's seal. Ad 1: NK 4277 (01088bis); E. Colliander, in: Nord. Tidskrift f. Bok- och Bibl. väsen, 28 (1941), p. 198-9; A. de Backer & Vanderhaeghen, in: Bull. du bibliophile belge, 20 (1864), p. 281; W. Nijhoff, in: Het Boek, 3 (19), p. 360); ad 2: NK 1181; NAT II, 7; ad 3: NK 2207; ad 4: NK 112.