Pilgrim-Walks in Rome; A Guide to its Holy Places
New York and London: The Messenger/John Griffin, 1903. First edition. Octavo (9 3/8 inches tall), original gilt green cloth. Gentle wear to upper corners, bumping to lower corners of clean boards, slight crease to corner of map not affecting image. A near-fine copy. Item #770
"HOW WELL IT IS FOR THE CHRISTIAN SOUL TO BEHOLD THE CITY WHICH IS LIKE A HEAVEN ON EARTH" (PETRARCH)
First edition of this extensively illustrated, Jesuit-authored guide to the Eternal City—a bright copy complete with the original folding map and frontispiece portrait of the newly-coronated Pope Pius X.
Father Chandlery was previously the author of Saints in Rome and Rooms of the Saints in Rome. His short introduction, echoing Petrarch, distinguishes makes a distinction between "the necessity of visiting these 'devotione Catholica,' in a Catholic spirit of devotion, and not 'curiositate poetica,' with the curiosity of poets or artists." This copy retains the original folding map ("Plan of Rome Showing Principal Streets and Churches") and the guide is abundantly illustrated with black-and-white sketches and photographic plates and supplemented with a lengthy Index.
With a brief Preface by P. Gallwey, S.J. recommending this "pleasing introduction to everything sacred in the Holy City" to Anglo-American audiences. The preface concludes with a note: "Chapter II was printed before the death of Leo XIII. A brief notice of his successor, Pius X, will be found in Appendix II." Pope Leo XIII died in July 1903 after a long reign which lasted for a quarter of a century. The last leaf describes the new pontiff as "seldom seen in Rome and little known out of Italy." Pope Pius X is characterized as "simple as a child in life and personal manner, generous to a fault, zealous to seek personally the most ungrateful and depraved of his flock, singularly wise in counsel and strong in action, a most practical lover of the people, from whose ranks he has sprung, Cardinal Sarto ruled with undisputed sway the people of religious Venice." A second edition of Pilgrim-Walks was published in 1905. An excellent copy.
Price: $100.00