Breviaire tiré du Romain, commode à l’usage des Religieuses Hospitalières de la Miséricorde de Jésus et de l’Ordre de S. Augustin. Paris: George & Louis Josse, 1686, 8vo. ------------------- A scarce late seventeenth century French breviary prepared for the Religieuses Hospitalières de la Miséricorde de Jésus, a congregation of Augustinian nuns devoted to charitable and medical service. Adapted from the Roman Breviary, the work provides the canonical hours, prayers, and offices suited to the daily use of the order. ------------------- Size: 146 x 219 mm (approx.) Condition: Contemporary full black morocco binding finely blindstamped in the manner of the Sombre Binder. Rubbed with a little loss to the corners as typical, small leather repair patch to foot of front board just extending to the foot of the backstrip. Externally very attractive indeed. Both boards are securely attached. Metalwork for the clasps extant, one clasp extant, the other lacking. Some edge deformation of the boards where the clasps are as typical. Printed leaf to front pastedown (c.1820?) titled Rosée Céleste, an oval picture with the Sacred Heart below the Cross envisaged as the sun bleeding down on to a landscape scene, presumably of an Augustinian convent, with a poem in French below. Six full page very attractive plates throughout, printed rubricated capitals and decorations. Several tipped in pages with handwritten prayers in a very neat hand, areas of marginalia or correction to the text (some contemporary) with inserted paper pasted (c.1700s) over some text showing extensive use of this Breviary, some tipped in printed leaves from other Breviaries of similar time periods. Calendar at the front. Uncollated and so no attestation to the completeness is guaranteed, but it appears to be complete (with many extra leaves bound in - both manuscript and printed). Front blank attached at gutter edge to title leaf. One leaf with some marginal loss, a few closed tears, mildly toned throughout, but generally very well preserved, especially for the evident signs of extensive historic use. A truly magnificent piece of Catholic history in a wonderful contemporary sombre binding with evidence of extended use covering probably two centuries or more since its printing.
