Historia aliquot Martyrum Anglorum maxime octodecim Cartusianorum sub rege Henrico Octavo
( CARTHUSIAN ORDER ) CHAUNCY, Mauritius
. unc ad exemplar primae editionis moguntinae anno 1550 excusae a monachis Cartusiae S. Hugonis in Anglia denuo edita. [With an Introduction by V.M. Doreau].
Published: Burns & Oates, 1888
Stock code: 11088
Price: £224.00
Roy. 4to., First Edition thus, on laid paper, text in Latin throughout, with a frontispiece (original captioned tissue guard present), title in red and black, and 6 plates (all original captioned tissue guards present), free endpapers lightly spotted; original faux-vellum boards printed in red and black, very neatly rebacked with holland lettered in black, hinges neatly strengthened with passe-partout, uncut, a very bright, crisp, tight copy.
Sold from an institution with its cancelled bookplate on front paste-down and small neat stamps on title and plate versos. With a personal bookplate on front free endpaper. An important account of one of the key periods in the history of the Carthusians in London. In 1535, when the majority of Carthusians refused the Oath of Supremacy Chauncy was one of the few to concede, an act that he was never thereafter able to reconcile with his conscience. With the accession of Queen Mary hopes for a Catholic restoration were revived and Chauncy was elected prior of a small gathering of monks at Sheen, but the dramatic events of 1558 forced them to flee to Bruges. After many relocations in the Low Countries, Chancy died at Bruges in 1581. His vivid account of the martyrdom of most of his fellow London Carthusians (supported by graphic, almost gruesome, plates showing the various forms of torture and execution) was evidently one attempt at restoring his faith. Very scarce.