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The Catholic Historical Review 89.4 (2003) 742-743



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Corpus Librorum Emblematum. The Jesuit Series. Part Three (F-L). Edited by Peter M. Daly and G. Richard Dimler, S.J. (Toronto: University of Toronto Press. 2002. Pp. lix, 375. $125.00.)

This is the third part of an important project, undertaken by two authors who have made their mark in the world of emblem studies. In the introduction they present their work as follows: "This bibliography attempts to encompass all extant books of emblems, emblematically illustrated works, and books dealing with the theory and practice of emblematics that were written by members of the Society of Jesus." There was a good reason to choose the Jesuits, for they "produced more books in this genre than did any other identifiable group of writers, and second, they published in all major European vernacular languages as well as in Latin." The authors estimate that the complete series will comprise [End Page 742] about 1700 entries, of which 500 are first editions. They excluded books with fewer than three plates or woodcuts, and books which have only an emblematic title-page or an emblematic frontispiece, a rather contestable decision. (Why not fewer than two or four plates?)

Of each publication the following data are given, as far as possible: Record number, Author name, Short-title, Place of Publication, Publisher, Language, Pagination, Fingerprint, Emblem Structure and Illustrations, Layout, Illustration Notes, Artist, Classification of Jesuit Emblem Books, Reference, Library Locations and Shelf Marks, Remarks, Collation Copy, Serial Number, and Facsimiles. In the introduction all these elements are explained in a clear way.

The result of Daly's and Dimler's hunt for copies all over the world is impressive, and their "Jesuit Series" can already be regarded as a standard work of international value. For instance this volume with 357 titles records as many as seventy-eight titles not to be found in the authoritative bibliography of De Backer-Sommervogel from 1890 to 1909. Of course, one could wonder if a provisional and cheaper edition would not have been preferable, in anticipation of a definitive edition with illustrations of a better quality and in a more attractive layout, and probably with more copies of the recorded publications. In that case one of my main suggestions would have been to skip all the facsimiles which don't show emblematic illustrations by artists; why include also (title) pages with text only? But given the authors' choice, one should be very grateful to them.

In a publication of this scope printing errors and other, more serious mistakes cannot be avoided. Of this latter category I mention: Trajecti ad Rhenum for Trier, instead of Utrecht (p. xx); Kinchy, instead of Kinchius (pp. 143, 148, 237), Henrico Betkio, instead of Henricus Betkius (p. 203). Like many other scholars, not familiar with the Dutch language, the authors present persons from The Netherlands under German Christian names, like Johann, instead of Johan (pp. 114, 118, 152, 172, 180, 304, 305), Heinrich, instead of Hendrick (pp. 119, 120), Hermann, instead of Herman (pp. 172, 180). The place of publication of one (J. 682) of the numerous publications by Herman Hugo (of whom 142 publications are recorded) is not Antwerp, but Amsterdam; Antwerp is a false impressum (p. 162).



Paul Begheyn, S.J.
Netherlands Institute of Jesuit Studies, Amsterdam

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