L'anti-papesse, ou Erreur populaire de la papesse Jeanne.

8vo: [16]-304 pp. (some spotting on title).

Contemp. overlap., ms. title on spine (soiling on upper board, missing on flaps, rests of leather ties, 1st square sl. disbound). Inside good copy.

Uncommon posthumous revised ed. (1st Paris, 1599) of this serious refutation of the legend of Pope Joan, according to which in the 9th century a woman sat on the throne of St Peter's under the name of John VIII. This legend was at the heart of a lively debate between Catholics and Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. By F. de Raemond (1540-1601), a Protestant historian who converted to Catholicism, who replaced Montaigne as a councillor at the Bordeaux Parliament. Printer's mark on title printed in red and black.
Ref. BnF.
Prov. De Mallemain (ms. entry).
Bound with, same author, editor and date: De la couronne du soldat. Traduict du latin de Q. Septim. Tertullian. 67-[13] pp.
Joined: Spanheim, Friedrich - Histoire de la papesse Jeanne [...]. La Haye, "aux dépens de la Compagnie", 1758. 2 vol., 12mo (sm. marg. stains). Contemp. calf (1 headcap missing, corners used). Reissue of the ed. La Haye, F. Scheurler, 1738, of the French transl. by J. Lenfant with notes and additions by A. Des Vignoles (1st ed.: 1694), ill. with 5 engr. pl., 1 of which (fold.) showing Pope Joan giving birth in public during the Corpus Christi procession, another describes the pierced chair which the Church felt it had to use after this episode in order to check the virility of St Peter's successors before they acceded to the throne. Ref. Barbier II:705. - STCN 305748971. Prov. "J.G. 3 avril 1849" (ms. entry on titles). (3 vol.)