Summa Theologiae, 1607.
Theology, Philosophy, Church Doctrine
This particular Summa Theologiae has 5 parts in one, Prima Pars, Prima Secundae, Secunda Secundae, Tertia Pars, and Supplementum, which makes it different from the other copies being featured, because those only have one part of the Summa. The text of this copy is within ruled borders, which the other examples of the Summa being displayed do not have. Another interesting feature of this item is that there are tabs sticking out of the pages, indicating the start of another section of the Summa. It would appear, although we do not know this for certain, that the tabs were added at a later time. This book was published in 1607 in Paris, and along with all of the other items, it is written in Latin. The item is 36 cm tall, 24 cm long, and 9 cm wide with a red and brown cover that can be assumed to not be the original.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Library Catalog
Parisiis : Ex officinis Tri-Adelphorum Bibliopolarum, via Iacobae & in monte D. Halarij
1607
Leather-bound book: 36 cm tall, 24 cm long, and 9 cm wide
Latin
Summa Theologiae, Volume 1, 1581.
Theology, Philosophy, Church Doctrine
Volume 1 from a set of the Summa Theologiae in Latin from 1581. This set has 4 volumes and each item is 34 cm tall. This particular volume is 25 cm long and 5.5 cm wide. There is a bookplate in the front cover bearing the name “Wallworth” and a coat of arms. This set was published in Lyon, France. This particular item is one of our oldest copies of the Summa, which makes it a point of interest, but another reason is that surrounding the text of the Questions and Articles is commentary, which creates a striking visual compared to the other sets that we have. This commentary is from Thomas de Vio Cajetan, who was the Master of the Order of Preachers from 1508-18 and a Cardinal. Cardinal Cajetan is best known for his defense of the Catholic Church against Martin Luther during the Reformation.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Lugduni : apud Ioannam Iacobi Iuntae
1581
34 cm tall, 25 cm long and 5.5 cm wide
Latin
Summa Theologiae, Prima Pars, 1773.
Theology, Philosophy, Church Doctrine
Volume 1 (Prima Pars) from a set of the Summa Theologiae in Latin from 1773, published in Rome. This set has 5 volumes and each item is 42 cm tall. This particular volume is 29 cm long and 6 cm wide with a black and white cover with a red and beige spine. Within the front cover is a bookplate indicating that this book was once owned by Rev. James H. Driscoll. The recto has handwriting. Although this set of the Summa also includes commentary by Cardinal Cajetan, the commentary is below the text, not surrounding it. The verso of the title page includes a very large and striking illustration of St. Thomas Aquinas as he is writing, being divinely inspired.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Romae : s.n.
1773
Cajetan, Tommaso de Vio, 1469-1534.
Capponi, Serafino, ca. 1536-1614.
42 cm tall, 29 cm long and 6 cm wide
Latin
Summa Theologiae, Prima Pars, 1639.
Theology, Philosophy, Church Doctrine
Volume 1 from a set of the Summa Theologiae in Latin from 1639. This set has 9 volumes, from v.1-5 and v.7-10. Each volume is 14 cm tall and 8.25 cm long. The width on each volume differs according to the length of the work. There is a bookplate belonging to the Archbishop of Baltimore, Ambrose Maréchal in the front cover. This set was published in Germany. The first volume (displayed here) has an illustrated title page with a signature from Archbishop Maréchal. The size of the work differs from the other copies of the Summa in this exhibit, as it is much more portable compared to the folio sized editions of the Summa. We can infer that this set might have been intended for travel or for the dissemination of the work to the laity.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Coloniae Agrippinae : Sumptibus Cornelii ab Egmond, & Sociorum
1639
14 cm tall and 8.25 cm long
Latin
Summa Set
Rare Book Room
Commentary on Book IV of the Sentences of Peter Lombard, First Half
Theology, Commentary, Peter Lombard, Scholasticism
This first manuscript codex was created around 1460 in the north of France. This item is 31 cm tall, 24 cm long, and 8 cm wide, with 350 leaves on a combination of parchment and paper. This codex is the first half of St. Thomas Aquinas’s Commentary of Book IV of the Sentences of Peter Lombard (“On the Doctrine of Signs”). This is one of Aquinas’s earlier works, completed before his work on the Summa Theologiae. It was common for theologians of the time to write commentaries on the Sentences. This manuscript is particularly valuable, mainly because it is the oldest book we have of a work of St. Thomas Aquinas. There are a couple of visual components that make this item compelling, first being the combination of paper and parchment. Secondly, the ruling lines are still visible. Thirdly, there is a parchment leaf that might still have hair on it, but this is unconfirmed (3rd picture).
St. Thomas Aquinas
France
ca. 1460
31 cm tall, 24 cm long, and 8 cm wide
Latin
Quaestiones de Duodecimi Quodlibet
Theology, Commentary, Peter Lombard
This manuscript is from 1478 and was created in Austria. It is a copy of St. Thomas Aquinas Quaestiones de duodecimi quodlibet, and it is 30 cm tall, 23 cm long, and 5 cm wide. Quaestiones is a series of questions and answers, that prominent Catholic philosopher Josef Pieper describes as a “fruit of the free discussions which Thomas was so fond of launching at the university, wherein those questions are raised which stirred his age”. The book is handwritten with black ink on paper in Gothic cursive, and it is rubricated. There are also red and yellow initials throughout. The cover is black leather. In contrast to MS 200, this manuscript has a difference in material and production technique, with this being solely written on paper, as opposed to parchment and paper, and this book being rubricated along with yellow and red initials.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Austria
1478
30 cm tall, 23 cm long, and 5 cm wide
Latin
Super Secundo libro Sententiarum Petri Lombardi
Theology, Scholasticism, Peter Lombard
This first incunabula is a larger book, which is quite imposing at first glance. The first thing you notice is the solid wood cover covered in pig skin (which is contemporary) and has metal clasps; it is one of only two books in this exhibit that have metal clasps. Unfortunately, one of the clasps has broken off at some point. This is an example of St. Thomas Aquinas’ Super Secundo libro Sententiarum Petri Lombardi. Our copy is certainly interesting to look at, as it has hand painted initials in red, the first being in red and blue. There is also rubrication throughout. Originally printed in Cologne in 1481, this incunabula is in Latin with 338 leaves, and it is approximately 21.5 cm long, 28 cm tall, and 9 cm wide. Although we have another copy of his Commentaries on the Sentences of Peter Lombard featured in this exhibit, it worth contrasting the two copies, as this is Book II of the Sentences of Peter Lombard, as opposed to our manuscript copy of Book IV. Also, the production methods are significantly different.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Cologne : impressum ... Henricum Quentell
8 Sept. 1481
21.5 cm long, 28 cm tall, and 9 cm wide
Latin
Super Epistolas Sancti Pauli
Biblical Commentary, St. Paul
This second incunabula is from 1498, printed by Boneto Locatelli, and published by Ottoviano Scotto in Venice. It is a printing of Aquinas’s Super Epistolas Sancti Pauli, or his commentary on the Letters of St. Paul. This example is in Latin, 261 leaves, and is approximately 21.5 cm long, 29 cm tall, and 4.5 cm wide. Although an imperfect copy, with some of the text being slightly offset and some trimming grazing the text, it is still an interesting copy with early marginalia and woodcut initials. This is a wonderful copy, not only because of its physical quirks, but also because it is an example of one of St. Thomas’s Biblical commentaries. This copy, along with the manuscript of his Commentary of Book IV of the Sentences of Peter Lombard, offer snippets of his explanations of some of the most important works in Western Christianity.
St. Thomas Aquinas
Locatelli, Boneto, fl. 1486-1523, printer.
Scotto, Ottaviano, d. 1498, publisher.
Venice
22 Dec. 1498
21.5 cm long, 29 cm tall, and 4.5 cm wide
Latin