Subject
Meditations -- Early works to 1800 Books
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à Kempis Thomas
The Imitation of Christ
"The Imitation of Christ" by Thomas à Kempis is a Christian devotional book composed between 1418-1427. Divided into four books of spiritual instruction, this medieval text guides readers toward interior spiritual life and withdrawal from worldly concerns. Emphasizing devotion to the Eucharist and practices from the Devotio Moderna movement, it offers detailed counsels on living a contemplative Christian life. After the Bible, it became the most widely read devotional work in Christianity, with over 745 editions printed before 1650.
de Sales Francis
Introduction à la vie dévote
"Introduction à la vie dévote" by Saint Francis de Sales is a spiritual guide first published in 1609. Originally compiled from letters of spiritual direction to his cousin navigating piety amid courtly life, it addresses all Christians regardless of vocation. The work presents holiness as accessible to everyone—soldiers, craftsmen, married people—through five parts covering resolution, prayer, virtue, temptation, and spiritual renewal. Distinguished by simple French and imagery from daily life, it became widely popular across Protestant and Catholic circles.
à Kempis Thomas
L'imitation de Jésus-Christ Traduction nouvelle avec des réflexions à la fin de chaque chapitre
"L'imitation de Jésus-Christ" by Thomas à Kempis is a Christian devotional book written in Medieval Latin around 1418–1427. Divided into four books of spiritual instructions, it emphasizes the interior life and withdrawal from worldly concerns, with devotion to the Eucharist at its core. Emerging from the Devotio Moderna movement, this anonymous work became immediately popular after its composition. Perhaps the most widely read Christian devotional text after the Bible, it has been translated into more languages than any book except Scripture and printed in over 745 editions before 1650.
à Kempis Thomas
The Following of Christ, in Four Books Translated from the Original Latin of Thomas a Kempis
"The Following of Christ, in Four Books" by Thomas à Kempis is a Christian devotional work composed between 1418-1427. Written anonymously in Medieval Latin within the Devotio Moderna movement, this spiritual handbook guides readers through interior life and withdrawal from worldly concerns. Divided into four books of detailed instructions, it emphasizes devotion to the Eucharist and provides counsels for spiritual living. After the Bible, it became perhaps the most widely read Christian devotional text, with over 745 editions printed before 1650 and translations into numerous languages.
Queen Marguerite
A godly medytacyon of the christen sowle, concerninge a loue towardes God and hys Christe
"A Godly Medytacyon of the Christen Sowle, Concerninge a Loue Towardes God" is a theological treatise written in the early 16th century. Compiled in French by Lady Margarete, Queen of Navarre, and translated into English by Lady Elizabeth, daughter of King Henry VIII, this work delves into the profound relationship between the human soul and the divine. The text likely explores themes such as humility, repentance, and the nature of true nobility in the sight of God. The opening of the work features a transcriber’s note, alludes to biblical references, and sets the stage for a deeper exploration of spirituality. It includes an epistolary introduction where various nobility and their characteristics are discussed, emphasizing the merit of spiritual rather than worldly nobility. The author invites readers to reflect on the heart's conditions before God, acknowledging its weaknesses and the necessity of divine grace in attaining true knowledge and virtue. Through its lyrical and meditative passages, the text seeks to inspire a genuine love for God, urging the reader to contemplate their relationship with the divine amidst a world prone to vanity and sin.
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