[THOMAS A KEMPIS] KEMPEN (Thoma von). Vener. Viri Thomae a Kempis, cum docti tum religiosissimi viri [...] opera omnia, ad autographa ejusdem emendata, atque etiam tertia ferè ex parte nunc aucta & correcta, et in tres tomos distribua. Opera et studio R. P. Henrici Sommalii è Societate Jesu, [...] Coloniae Agrippinae, Joannem Busaeum Bibliopolam, 1660. Three volumes in one very large vol. pet. in-8, original full ecru vellum, handwritten title in brown on spine, 4-[5]-732-[16]-269-[69] pp. Collation complete. Spine a little blackened, upper hinge a little loose, qq. pp. browned, otherwise good cond. Thomas a Kempis (Latinized name used in French), Thomas von Kempen or Thomas Hemerken was a medieval Dutch monk. He is credited with one of the best-known books on Christian devotion, The Imitation of Jesus Christ. Thomas led a peaceful life, dividing his time between devotional exercises, writing and copying. He copied four copies of the Bible, one of which is preserved in Darmstadt in five volumes. His teachings were widely read, and his works abound in biblical quotations, particularly from the New Testament. From the Huysmans library, with his autograph ex libris on the flyleaf, (another armorial bookplate Michel Even). An early handwritten note indicates that he used this work extensively in preparing his book "sainte Lydwine de schiedam".