Very scarce and first edition [thus] of the life of Augustine of Hippo and a fresh translation of his Confessions, beautifully preserved and with excellent provenance. Only one other copy extant recorded in Wing.
It would be difficult to overstate the influence of Augustine on the history of the Church, the Reformation, and into the present time. His relevance has been highlighted yet again with the recent release of James K. A. Smith's On the Road with St. Augustine.
Augustine. The Life of S. Augustine. The First Part. Written by himself in the first ten Books of his Confessions. London. John Crook. 1660. First Edition [thus]. 16 + 208pp.
Bound in attractive late 18th or early 19th century full calf, raised bands, and contrasting morocco title. Some rubbing, but generally solid and attractive. Could benefit from a light wax polish.
It retains bookplates of both Stephen White [probably earlier, c.1790's] and Alfred White, who was a Presbyterian divine in New York during the early 1800's. A few minor ink notes to margin, likely in one of their hands.
John R. Yamamoto-Wilson's annotated bibliography of Augustine described it as being comprised of compendious extracts from the first ten books of Confessions, followed by an account of Augustine's life drawn from various [ancient] sources. He also indicates that this is a unique translation, separate from the Catholic version by Tobie Matthew (1620) or the Protestant version by William Watts [1631].
