1654 – Ecclesiastical History of England | First Edition, Catholic vs Protestant

Florum historiae ecclesiasticae gentis anglorum by Richard Smith is one of the best and most famous 17^th-century histories of the church in England. First published in 1654, this book covers the entirety of ecclesiastical history focusing on the earliest church figures in England including Augustine of Canterbury, Pope Gregory the Great, Mellitus Archbishop of Canterbury, Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, and the Northumbrian rulers Oswald and Edwin. Written from a Catholic perspective, this work also references notable figures such as Venerable Bede and Thomas Cranmer.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Florum historiae ecclesiasticae gentis anglorum, libri septem, ex quibus dulcissimum mel Catholicae religionis, eiusque admirabiles fructus in ea gente copiosissimè colliguntur
• Author(s): Richard Smith
• Publisher: Parisiis, Apud Federicum Leonard
• Edition: First edition, 1654.
• Binding: Full leather with gilt spine title
• Format: Folio, single volume
• Size:  13.5 x 8.5 in (34 x 22 cm)
• Collation: [8], 428 [i.e. 430], [2] pp
• Contents Include:
  • Accounts of Augustine of Canterbury and Gregory the Great
  • History of early English Christianity – Protestant and Catholic powers
  • Narratives concerning Northumbrian rulers Oswald and Edwin
  • References to Cuthbert of Lindisfarne
  • On the Venerable Bede
• Provenance: bookplate – North Library

Condition:

Very Good. Full leather binding tight and secure with mild rubbing to the corners. Gilt spine title retained. Pages generally clean with occasional spotting; text legible throughout.

Why Collect This?

• First edition on the ecclesiastical history of England
• Large, leather-bound folio

Item Number: #50175