Arndt, Johannem. [EMBLEM BOOK] Vier geistreiche Bucher von wahren Christenthum. Riga: Johann Georg Wilcken, 1678-9. 5 parts in 1 volume, the fifth being Drey Schone geistreiche Lehr- und Trost-Buchlein Zum Wahren Christenthum gehorig. Same imprint, 1678. [11690]
Full vellum with yapped edges, binding is worn and soiled, yet with good joints and tight. Text block is 20 x 12 cm (8 x 4 3/4 inches). Ffep filled with notes in German. Lacks the general title page and begins with the first leaf of the preliminaries - (a), but has individual title pages for the five books. xvi, (preliminaries); vii, 272, [2]; [ii], 412, [4]; [x], 108, [2]; [vi], 180, [8]; 122, [36] pages. In book two the page numbers 79-80 are skipped yet the text & signatures are continuous; book four with several misnumbered pages and no loss of text. 56 engravings with descriptive text on the versos interspersed within the first four books. The texts are generally good or better with two exceptions: pp. 155-6 of book two is torn with loss at the top corner, affecting the ends/beginnings of 4 lines of text; old dampstains in the first and last portions of the volume. Good. Hardcover.
56 engravings from daily life illustrating Bible truths with explanatory texts. Johann Arnd, or Arndt (1555-1621), German Lutheran theologian & pastor; a mystical and devotional writer. His devotional works have been deemed useful to both Catholic and Protestant readers, and are held in high esteem by the German Pietists.
