RARE PHILOSOPHY COLLECTION

[Scotism] Gothusius, Augustinus, O.F.M. (ed.): Gymnasium speculativum: in quo, viri doctissimi, cum philosophi, tum theologi subtilissime, et clarissime disserunt. Fontanus, de Dialectica, et Terminis Philosophicis. Titelmannus, de Logica, et Naturali Philosophia. Card. Sarnanus, de Primis, et Secundis Intentionibus, cum Brevi Methodo Conficiendi Syllogismos. Brugnatus, De Grammatica Speculativa Scoti. Faber, De Formalitatibus in Scoti Formalitates. Rada, de Attributis, & Ordine in divinis. Doct. Illuminatus. F. Maronius de Term. Theolog. Cui adiectus est S. Athanasii Magni, Alexandrini Episcopi, Tractatus de Definitionibus Theologis [...] Ad illustriss. et reverendiss. dominum D. Innnocentium a Bubalo, S.R.E. Cardinalem ampliss. Parisiis, apud Ioannem Le Bouc, è regione D. Hilarij, sub signe Diligentiae 1604.

The rare first edition of this Paris university collection of academic texts of Scotist Aristotelian philosophy from the period of “resurgent scotism” (cf. New Catholic Encyclopedia). A more common second edition of this title followed in 1605 - an examination has found it to be substantially different, repeating only three of our eight tracts below (and others instead). Sourced it appears both from manuscripts and printed works, four of the pieces contained in our book are in first located printing. The edition is dedicated to the Papal nuncio to France who had just been elevated to Cardinal, Innocenzo del Bufalo-Cancellieri (1566-1610). A letter to the cardinal, supplementary to the editor’s, is written by Jean Roenne of Rheims. The editor is announced to be a (presumably doctoral) candidate in theology in Paris, hailing from Moneglia in the region of Genoa. Further Italians are found amongst the authors he chooses, including one, Antonio Paliettino (see item 8) who came from the same hometown. Contents, which are listed on the title-page, include studies of formal perfections, primary and secondary intentions, syllogisms, science, and dialectics. The sections, most with their own title-page and pagination, comprise:

1. Filippo Fabbri, O.F.M., 'Tractatus de formalitatibus'. This is the first located edition and the earliest dated printed work by Fabbri in the bibliography 'Bibliotheca Universa Franciscana' (Madrid, 1732-3, henceforth BUF), which lists it under Gothusius. Fabbri (1564-1630) was a professor at Padua.
2. The final two chapters of this part (pp. 81-183) have the headlines 'Quaestio de attributis divinis' and 'Quaestio de ord. naturae in divinis'. These are described on general title-page as 'Rada, de Attributis, & Ordine in divinis'. The author is likely to be the Spanish-born Archbishop of Trani in Italy, Juan de Rada, O.F.M. Obs. (1545-1609) (BUF does not list title but shows work on similar subject matter of comparing Scotus to Aquinas). This is again the first located edition.
3. Costanzo Boccadifuoco, O.F.M. (1531-1595), 'Subtilissima tractatio de primis et secundis intentionibus' (with 'De conficiendis syllogismis'). The first part had, it appears, a prior printing history; we have not located a prior edition of the second, but cannot rule out its having been included in earlier printed books.
4. François de Meyronnes, O.F.M. (c.1280-1338), 'Terminorum theologalium, auraee[sic.] explanationes'. First located edition of this title, listed in BUF under Gothusius. François, sometimes (as here) called ‘Doctor Illuminatus’, was a pupil of Scotus himself.
5. St. Athanasius of Alexandria (296x8-373), 'De definitionibus theologicis'.
6. Frans Titelmans, O.F.M. (1502-1537), 'Physicae [...] compendium'. With an eight-page 'table of universal philosophy' ('Tabula universam philosophiam continens') at end.
7. 'Dialectica prodidagmata ad adeundum Aristotelem magnopere necessaria'. No author is given, but this appears from internal evidence to be the item described on general title-page as 'Fontanus, de dialectica, et terminis philosophicis'. This work may well therefore be by the Paris scholar Simon Fontaine, O.F.M. (d.1557), possibly a work titled ‘Dialectica’ which is listed in bibliography with no publication details (BUF III 91).
8. Antonio Paliettino, O.F.M. Conv., bishop of Brugnato (d. 1578), 'Methodus in grammaticam speculativam Doct. Subtiliss. Scoti'. This is the first located edition (cf. BUF, which lists it both under editor and author).
9. Titelmans, 'Compendium dialectice'.

“Although the Capuchins forbade their friars in 1550 to follow Scotus and returned to Bonaventure, who was declared a doctor of the universal Church in 1588, the Franciscans declared Scotus their doctor in 1593. By the end of the century, Scotism was a vital force at the universities of Salamanca, Alcalá, Coimbra, Rome, Padua, Paris, Louvain, Budapest, and Cracow. This resurgence led to the official formation of the Scotist school by legislation” (New Catholic Encyclopedia).

Details

First edition. 8vo. (16.4 cms. x 11.4 cms.), 628 pages in all. Numbered as: pp. 5, [3] [8]; 183 [1]; pp. 60 (recte 52; several misnumberings, but guidewords and collations follow), [4] (blank), [14] (index), [2] (blank), fols. 8; pp. 50 [6]; fols. 29 (recte 28) [8] (i.e. 72 pages); fols. 59, [1] (blank) (i.e. 120 pages); pp. 10 [2] (colophon); fols. 40 (i.e. 80 pages). With general title and seven section-titles. Two woodcut logical diagrams. Eight-page universal table of philosophy. Light browning, flaw to (first) pp. 71-2 (sig. E4) (removing some of printed marginal gloss on verso), some shaving of headlines. Thin slice of paper cut from along top of general title-page to remove inscription; a late 18th/early 19th-cent. shelfmark is added instead at same place on recto of leaf behind. Earlier shelfmark on title-page neatly crossed out. Bound in early polished calf, slightly rubbed, worn and cracking at joints but good, gilt decoration and label of red morocco gilt to spine, edges mottled red.

1605 edition only of this title in Bibliotheca Universa Franciscana (constituent parts of the 1604 edition nevertheless listed - see above). Copies of the 1604 collection have been located via OCLC (2015) at Dillingen, Munich, BNF, BM Lyon, BNC Rome, Valladolid.