Very rare imprint of the early Puritan, Alexander Cooke's blistering polemic against the Roman Catholic church via its hypocrisy in covering up their accidental selection of a female pope and then of her surprise delivery of an illegitimate child while in public procession.
The Pope Joan history is ostensibly the reason for the creation of the infamous "Pope's Jewels" chair in the Vatican where one unlucky Cardinal was assigned to verify that the Pope-elect was in fact a male. With the advent of modern medical records, etc., this has long been out of use, but, at least according to legend, continued to be normal practice throughout the Middle Ages and perhaps up through the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries.
Cooke, Alexander. A Present for a Papist: Or the Life and Death of Pope Joan, Plainly Proving Out of the Printed Copies, and Manuscripts of Popish Writers and others, that a Woman Called Joan, was Really Pope of Rome, and was there Deliver'd of a Bastard Son in the open Street, as She went in Solemn Procession. By a Lover of Truth, Denying Human Infallibility. London. Printed for T.D. and are to be Sold at the Ship in St. Mary Axe, and by Most Booksellers. 1675. 165pp.
Scarce and desirable in all editions. Rebound in the 19th century in an attractive period calf binding with raised bands and contrasting morocco title. Rubbed at hinges, but very sound, rear board has one corner deteriorated, but now consolidated and fine. Retains the scarce frontis engraving. Discrete ex library stamp on lower right of title. Textually very crisp and clean; slightly closely cropped at lower edge of block.
