Title: Calendarium Exhibens Methodum practicam Bene Moriendi, Circa 1685-1700. Latin Manuscript Calendar of Saints and the Art of Dying Well, with Prayers and Invocations for the Year. Manuscript Edition of the 17th Century Printed Work
Condition: Very Good
A late 17th century manuscript book of prayer, entitled a Calendar Showing a Practical Method of Dying Well, Illustrated with Examples of Saints for Each Day of the Year. The manuscript itself is a handwritten copy of the printed work originally produced in 1684.
As the title would entail, the manuscript is a Latin calendar of saints, positively brimming with hundreds of prayers and invocations for every day of the year, and how to live a goodly life.
The text itself is written primarily in black ink, while the headings and the names of the saints in red ink, and chapters begin with yellow rubrics.
Whether this was produced at commission, or a personal production is a present mystery, but a lovely manuscript of the period regardless. To lovingly and painstakingly reproduce the entire work by hand displays the passion the creator had for this work and the prayers.
There is a bookplate for one Bernd Oetter (1937-2022), a diplomat.
One manuscript in 12mo, 318 leaves, 18 additional blanks at end
This manuscript is in very good shape, with virtually no wear or rubbing to the binding. The first and last leaves have suffered from some staining, the first leaf more so, which has also undergone some restoration work. There is very little foxing or staining elsewhere.