THEOLOGIE MYSTIQUE du R.P.F. Henry Harphius, Religieux, Observantin, Trescavant Theologien,, & tres-profond Contemplateur des choses divines. (see description for full t.p. text)

t.p. continues:' Divisee en trois livres. Du Latin Reveu (sic) et Corrige de l'auctorite de sainct Pere Clement VIII. suyvant le Decret du Concile de Trente. Traduict en Francois par M.Jean Baptiste de Machault sieur de la Mothe Romancourt, Conseiller du Roy . avec privilege du roy.' Date clearly MCD XVI not MDCXVII. Pagination: t.p. part rubricated with central rectangular engraved image of Greek-style woman clutching pillar with left hand and holding sword in flame atop short pedestal with right, scenic background and surrounding motto Aeque Ac Secundis Adversis, celebratory poem on verso by 'L.L.M.', 2 ff. 'Au Lectuer Catholique with engraved header and end-dated Paris 12 Octobre 1616 above engraving of angel holding book in left hand and quill in right surrounded by various objects of war, science, methmatics etc, motto across top: 'Martis Vel Palladis Arte' (this image recurs at end of main text, p.847) +7 ff. ending with 'Approbation' and 'Privilege du Roy' signed 'Bergeron' + 847 pp.+ verso p.847 list of 'Fau en l'impression' (errata), no front endpaper but one at rear a little creased and nicked, Condition: thick paper pastedowns secure but lifting in places, front pastedown has very early small 6-line inscription pasted on, a little cropped at bottom, main problem however is a very small wormhole starting below centre towards outer edge of front cover. and continuing thus to c. p.66 after which iit starts elongating to become particularly serious from c. p.73-92, eventually reaching 5.5. cms to outer edge and branches on a couple of leaves extending 1.5 cms vertically, after p.92 it fairly rapidly reduces again becoming a marginal pin-hole by leaf 107/8 and finally vanishing on leaf 717/8, additionally ff. 71/2 - 87/8 have a small hole in lower marginal outer corner, extending to the corner on 4 ff., there is thus some text loss to the affected region on pp.73-92, much of damage is interlinear and text thus reconstructable but in several places the loss of several words is complete, marginal 'hanging shoulder' references are also sometimes affected as well as main text;, the earlier small wormhole also zaps an occasional character; the second problem, sounding worse than it is, is a top outer corner brown water-stain line from approx. p.453-p.708, there is slight marginal browning throughout of little consequence but around the 540's and pp.749-760 there are few leaves more heavily affetced; outer edge of t.p. slightly frayed towards bottom and an open crease across top outer corner plus a very small ink lib.numer '5 sh', no other provenance markings except a 19th/early 20th cent.(?) inscrip. above the 'Au Lecteur Catholique' headpiece: 'St.Dominic's Convent. Stone' (a Catholic convent in Staffordshire founded in 1854), the text is otherwise virtually unmarked bar very occ., apparently very early, underlinings, corrections or marginal lines which are quite inoffensive and perhaps even enlightening. The vellum covers are thoroughly browned, faint title inscription top spine just about visible, edges becoming unfolded from underying boards but not detached, otherwise in good physical condition bar broken string across bottom spine. The author was a Dutch/Flemish Franciscan mystic and a brief account of him under the name Hendrik Herp is available on Wikipedia (he is given various names at different times and in different sources). This work was compiled as an anthology in 1538 and became quite successful despite being placed on the Index in 1559, the ban continuing rather erratically until the 1590s although other editions were issued. These were all in Latin, although a German edition is mentioned, with the present text apparently being the first French translation. It is also I think the first to contain an introductory interpretation of the Livre Second (possibly all of this two part text on pp.439-464, by Pierre Paul Philippe and Pierre Blomouenna, or perhaps only the latter's). A web search yielded no co.…