De Luca — Theatrum Veritatis & Justitiae, Tomus II — Cologne 1690 — 1786 Sierck Prize Copy

DE LUCA, Giovanni Battista. Eminentissimi ac Reverendissimi Domini D. Joannis Baptistae Cardinalis de Luca, Theatrum Veritatis & Justitiae, sive Decisivi Discursus… Tomus II. Cologne (Coloniae Agrippinae): heirs of Johann Widenfeldt and Godefrid de Berges, 1690. Folio.

A substantial volume of Cardinal Giovanni Battista De Luca’s Theatrum Veritatis & Justitiae, one of the major syntheses of seventeenth-century civil and canon law. This is Tomus II, containing the first three tractatus: on testaments, codicils and inheritance; fideicommissa, primogeniture and majorats; and legacies, intestate succession and renunciations.

Provenance

The particular interest of this copy lies in a lengthy dated academic prize inscription from Sierck in 1786, written on a preliminary blank. It records the presentation of the volume to Gregorius Johannes Marcelanus, described as an ingenuus, maximaeque spei adolescens — a promising young student — as he progressed:

cum ex Humanitate ad Rhetoricam gressum faceret
“as he advanced from Humanities to Rhetoric.”

The prize was made through the generosity of P. R. D. De Maringer, Dean of the Chapter of Perl, and is formally attested by Fr. C. Reiffenberg, Professor Humanitatis. The inscription is dated:

Siercae, 26. 7bris 1786
Sierck, 26 September 1786.

A partially damaged phrase appears to record the award as a first prize connected with the chria, a classical rhetorical composition exercise. Given the abrasion to this portion of the inscription, that reading is best regarded as probable rather than certain.

A later printed library label, “Bibl. Prov. Germ. Inferioris … C.Ss.R.”, records subsequent institutional ownership. The same form of label is documented for the Lower German Province of the Redemptorist congregation.

Condition

Bound in old full mottled calf, probably eighteenth century, the boards framed with double rules and centred with a decorative floral tool, spine on raised bands with small ornamental tools, edges stained red.

The binding is heavily worn but remains an attractive historic survival: extensive rubbing and surface abrasion to the leather, worn corners, losses and cracking around the spine ends and joints, and scattered old insect damage. The boards remain attached. The endpapers show substantial historic worming and channels; examination of the volume indicates that this is confined to the flypapers/endpapers and does not materially extend into the printed text apart from a small lower corner of the front title.

Internally considerably better preserved than the exterior. Paper generally sound and text strongly printed. A faint old tide mark affects the upper outer corner of some leaves, principally in approximately the first third. Toning varies noticeably between gatherings, reflecting possible differences in paper stock. The text block has been somewhat closely trimmed at the head, occasionally touching or clipping the upper running titles, without consequential loss to the body text. Occasional minor marks and age-toning. No manuscript marginalia or inserted material noted.

Bibliographic note

This volume is bibliographically designated Tomus II of the Cologne edition and contains Tractatus I–III, covering testaments and inheritance; fideicommissa, primogeniture and majorats; and legacies, intestate succession and renunciations.

Tractatus I: [4] ll., 182 pp., [13] ll.; 74 pp., [5] ll.; [2] ll., 100 pp., [10] ll. Tractatus II: [10] ll., 510 pp., [38] ll. Tractatus III: [3] ll., 118 pp., [9] ll.; [2] ll., 111 pp., [10] ll.; [2] ll., 47 pp., [2] ll.

Size

33 x 21cm

References

VD17 1:010224Q; Tractatus II: VD17 12:621395U; Tractatus III: VD17 3:023224F. 

USTC 2619414 — Tractatus I: De Testamentis… De Haerede… De Legitima Trebellianica…; USTC 2606747 — Tractatus II: De Fideicommissis, Primogenituris, et Maioratibus; USTC 2660602 — Tractatus III: De Legatis, De Successionibus ab Intestato, De Renunciationibus.