Isthec epistola fuit a paucis diebus casu reperta in libro quodam tabularum Alphonsi regis vetustissimo : quam quum videre[tur] morib[us] nostri seculi, plus[quam] illius quo missa fuit congruere / hanc ad verbum fideliter describi curaui, nichil omittens dictorum Luciferi ; porro in fronte erat scriptum : Clemens sextus episcopus Romanus circa annu[m] Christi. Mil. Trecentesi. Quadragesimu[m] q[ui]ntu[m] regnauit.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Ailly, Pierre d', 1350-1420?

Heinrich, von Langenstein, approximately 1325-1397.

Oresme, Nicole, approximately 1320-1382.

Petrarca, Francesco, 1304-1374.

Culture Class Collection (University of Pennsylvania)

French Culture Class Collection (University of Pennsylvania)

Standardized Title:

Epistola Luciferi.

Language:

Latin

Subjects (All):

Clement VI, Pope, approximately 1291-1352.

Clement.

Catholic Church--Controversial literature--Early works to 1800.

Catholic Church.

Anti-clericalism--Early works to 1800.

Anti-clericalism.

Anti-Catholicism--Early works to 1800.

Anti-Catholicism.

Devil--Early works to 1800.

Devil.

Genre:

Controversial literature.

Penn Provenance:

Wrigley, John Eveleth (donor) (Culture Class Collection copy)

Physical Description:

8 unnumbered pages : illustrations ; 20 cm (4to)

Other Title:

Ist hec epistola fuit a paucis diebus casu reperta in libro quodam tabularum Alphonsi regis vetustissimo

Clemens sextus episcopus Romanus circa annum Christi. Mil. Trecentesi. Quadragesimum quintum regnauit

Epistola missa clementi pape sexto

Fingerprint:

iais adre ani- a:a- (C) 1530 (Q)

Place of Publication:

[Netherlands?] : [publisher not identified], [1530?]

Summary:

A satire on the state of the Church, this "Devil's letter" was composed in 1351 and "widely copied, translated, and adapted". Cf. Jeffrey Burton Russell, Lucifer : the Devil in the Middle Ages (Ithaca : Cornell University Press, 1984), p. 88-89.

Notes:

Probable place ("the Lowlands") and date of printing supplied from: John E. Wrigley, "The Devil and Francis Petrarch" (p. 78). Hagenau, France, also suggested as place of printing, from ms. bibliographic notes found in a copy at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries. Cf. "The Devil and Francis Petrarch", by John E. Wrigley, The Library Chronicle (Philadelphia : Friends of the University of Pennsylvania Library, 1967), XXXIII : p. 75-96.

Sometimes attributed to Nicolas Oresme: e.g., cf. N. Oresme, Epistola Luciferi ... (Magdeburg : Michael Lotther, 1549). Also commonly attributed to Pierre d'Ailly or Heinrich von Langenstein. Also attributed to Petrarch. Cf. J.E. Wrigley, "The Devil and Francis Petrarch" (p. 77).

Colophon: "Datu[m] i[n] ce[n]tro t[er]re ac i[n] palatio n[ost]ro tenebricoso p[o]nti[fici]b[us] n[ost]ris demonibus p[ro]pter hoc specialiter euocatis ad n[ost]r[u]m [con]sistoriu[m] dolorosu[m]: sub n[ost]ri t[er]ribilis signi charactere i[n] robur p[rae]misso[rum]." This transcription supplied from Wrigley, "The Devil and Francis Petrarch" (p. 86). "Pontificibus" is also commonly transcribed "p[raese]ntib[us]".

Without signatures or pagination.

Title within border of illustrated woodcuts. Two of the woodcuts include the words "Bechtel" and "amos".

Woodcut initial.

With side-notes.

Gathering: [1]⁴.

Last page blank.

Local Notes:

Culture Class Collection copy has ms. bibliographic notes, in pencil and faded, on the title page, including "Hagenau" (France) as the suggested place of printing.

Cited in:

"The Devil and Francis Petrarch", by John E. Wrigley, The Library Chronicle (Philadelphia : Friends of the University of Pennsylvania Library), XXXIII (Spring 1967) : p. 75-96

OCLC:

754086770