FLEURIAU, Bertrand-Gabriel

La Vie du vénérable père Pierre Claver, de la compagnie de Jésus, apôtre de Cartagène, et des Indes-occidentales. Paris, Bordelet, 1751. In-12 (164 x 92 mm) of XXIV, 499 pp. 2 ff.n.ch. Marbled basane, spine decorated, red edges (period binding). Sabin, 24745; Sommervogel, III, 786. First edition, rare. First complete biography of the Jesuit Father Pedro Claver, the "patron saint of slaves. Pedro Claver y Corberó (1581 - 1654) was a Spanish Jesuit priest and missionary born in Verdú (Catalonia) who, because of his life of charity, became the patron saint of African slaves in Colombia. Claver was encouraged by his mentor in college to go to the missions in America. In 1610, he landed in Cartagena, Colombia, one of the two ports where slaves arrived from Africa to be sold in South America. Between the years 1616 and 1650, Peter Claver worked daily to meet the needs of the 10,000 slaves who arrived each year. During the 40 years of his ministry in Colombia, it is estimated that he personally baptized approximately 300,000 people. He is considered a heroic example of what missionary work should be. He made a special vow to become a "slave of the Negroes forever" and died in Cartagena on September 8, 1654. He was canonized in 1888 by Leo XIII. Exlibris pasted on the verso of the false title leaving traces, small worm work on the first ten leaves; binding skillfully restored.