CUSPINIANUS (Johannes). - Lot 17

CUSPINIANUS (Johannes). De Turcorum Origine, Religione ac immanissima eorum in Christianos tyrannide... Antuerpiae, apud Joan Steelsium in scuto Burgandiae, 1541. In-8, [8]-91 ff, later boards, smooth spine with title page, speckled edges (binding rubbed, margins slightly short). Extremely rare 16th-century edition. Never circulated in private hands. The 1654 edition is more commonly found in public collections. Jean Cuspinien, in Latin Johannes Cuspinianus, real name Johannes Spießheimer (1473-1529), was a Viennese humanist. This title on religion and the violent tyranny of the Turks against Christians, actually written in the 1520s at the time of Suleiman's conquests in Central Europe, is based on his De Cæsaribus imperatoribus Romanis (published by Gerbel in 1540-1541). His virulence was also expressed in two appeals against the Turks, Commonefactio ad Leonem X papam et ad christianos principes and Oratio protreptica ad bellum Turcicum, written after the battle of Mohacs. Provenance: Ex libris "Z Deyezine".