Liber aureus, inscriptus. Liber conformitatum vitae beati, ac seraphici patris Francisci ad vitam Jesu Christi domini nostri. Nunc denuò in lucem editus, atq[ue] infinitis propemodum mendis correctus à reverendo, ac doctissimo P.F. Jeremia Bucchio [...] ornatissimisq[ue] lucubrationibus illustratus [...].

4to: [17 (of 18)]-330 ff. (first blank lacking, marginal dampstaining on 4 ff. in the beginning, verso of last prelims stained, some ff. slightly browned, scattered foxing, wormhole in lower corner of the last 2 ff., ms. note on t.-p.). Inside very good condition.

18th-c. half marbled sheep, paper covers, spine on raised bands with gilt roll-stamps, modern red edges (rubbed, covers scratched, joints split, turn-ins lacking, 2 small labels on spine).

Famous "Life of St Francis", written in 1399 by the Franciscan Bartolomeo da Rinonico (Pisa, d. 1401), presenting an extended comparison of each aspect of his life with that of Jesus Christ. On account of these claims it was fiercely attacked by the early Reformers. It was first published in Milan in 1510 under the title "Liber conformitatum". Our ed. was made by Geremia Bucchio and is illustrated with a full-page woodcut representing St. Francis and a monk at the foot of a tree to which Christ is nailed and from which placards containing the 40 correspondences between the lives of St. Francis and Christ are hanging. Decorated also with a woodcut on title-page, 3 ills in the text (one repeated), some historiated initials (repeats) and others (ornamental) and the printer's mark on reverse of last f. Text in two columns. Ref. Edit 16 4490. - STC Italy p. 73. - Adams B-274. - Machiels B-144. - Soltész B-112. - Cp. Mortimer, Italy, 44 (1st ed.). Prov. Ownership entry of Tours Franciscans.