1031 - Enen clare[n] spiegel der ghewariger maechde[n] Christi. Waerinne sij volcomelijck mueghen merken hoe sij dat inwendyghe hoeft oft aensicht haerder sielen moeten verscieren [...]. [Sint-Truiden?] 1535-1546 8vo, 17,1 x 11,9 cm: 273 paper lvs (13,5 x 7,0 cm), littera cursiva, 17 vellum lvs with mounted hand-coloured engravings (few wormholes in lower margin of first 30 lvs, small chipping of paint on some illustrations, staining on some leaves). Overall very good condition. Binding dated 1601: brown calf over wooden boards, spine with raised bands and 5 gilt fleur-de-lys, boards with central gilt medallion with the Crucifixion, the instruments of the Passion and the IHS-monogram, on upper board "I.F. Bacx" and "Salich in Ger[...]cheyt", on lower board "Anno" and "1601", gilt edges, 2 brass clasps. Modern quarter brown morocco fitted box (binding restored). Very neat manuscript made for female devotional use in the Southern Netherlands, with headings and marginal captions in red pen, 8 large ornamented capitals, each leaf with a frame in red pen, lined and rubricated throughout. Apart from the table of contents and 2 prayers, the volume consists of 8 large chapters: "Sinte Hyeronimus epistole totter edeler maecht [...]", "Van diversche ynnighe gebedekens [...]", "Van den seeve[n] bloedstorti[n]gen Christi Jhesu [...]", "Vanden heyligen Sacrame[n]ten [...]", "Vanden menichfuldige[n] weldaden en[de] gratien die u die heere verleent heeft [...]", "Van dat herdincken des doots en[de] dijns sterfdaechs [...]", "Vander o[n]eyndelyker bermh[er]tich[heid] gods tegen allen wanhope en[de] cleynmoedicheyt", and "Vander verduldich[eid] in aller lijden desen tijt [...]". In the first prayer, the male scribe mentions that he composed this manuscript in 1535 at the request of a religious woman ("Int jaer van xxxv lest geleden, soe ben ick N. een onweerdich brueder ende dienaere gods met groter begerten gebeden van eender geestelijker devoter maget [...] dat ick haer soude wille[n] scryve[n] een forme oft maniere [...]". At the end of the volume, he asks to pray for his soul and ends with the date of July 1546 and the citation "Godt sy gheloeft Jhs Maria Catharijna". Illustrated with 17 engravings by Northern European printmakers: Jacob Binck (d. 1569; 2 engr.), Master S or Alexander van Brugsal (d. c. 1554; 9 engr. of Passion scenes), Israhel van Meckenem (d. 1503; 1 engr.), Monogrammist AC or Allaert Claesz (d. 1526; 3 engr.), one anonymous German master (Cologne?; 1 engr.), and one anonymous Netherlandish Master (1 engr.). All prints pasted on sheets of paper then mounted on vellum leaves, coloured in the manner of miniatures and heightened with gold, placed in frames some imitating borders as in Books of Hours, with scenes from the Life and Passion of Christ, SS Stephen, Lawrence, Francis, Apollonia and Catherine. Similar rare and remarkable examples of contemporary devotional and religious manuscripts interleaved with hand-coloured engravings by early Northern European printmakers once were part of the library of the abbey of Sint-Truiden, now in the University Library in Liège (cf. Handschriften uit de abdij van Sint-Truiden, exh. cat., 1986, n. 30-34). Prov. Sister Franssoes Backx (supra-libros and ms. mention inside upper board). - Sister Gritken vander Elken "mijn goede vrindinne" (ms. mention ibidem). - Munich, Karl Hartung, sale 56, 3-6.11.1987, lot 11. - J.R. Ritman (ex-libris "Philosophia Hermetica" inside upper board). - London, Sotheby's, 17.6.2003, Ritman's sale, lot 37, with extensive description.