JUAN DE JESÚS MARÍA.

£975 · Offered by Peter Harrington · No longer available

Instructio principum, ethice, ac politice. First edition of this uncommon "mirror for princes", by one of the most famous pedagogists of the Spanish Counter-Reformation. A concise and well-structured manual, the book addresses both secular and "ecclesiastical" princes (members of the clergy), describing their duties and advising on moral conduct.Juan de Jesús María (1564-1615) was a Spanish Carmelite Friar and theologian. A native of the Rioja region in Spain, he moved to Italy, where he became friend and confidant of various popes - including Paul V and Clement VIII - and cardinals. His extensive literary output is "characterized by a practical and optimistic ascetism …It is in the field of differential and pedagogical spirituality that the Riojan has truly established himself as a master" (trans. from Flores, p. 339).This work is divided into two sections. The first, dedicated to secular rulers, advises on all aspects of a prince's life: what virtues to cultivate (religion, justice, prudence, clemency, strength, mercy, and magnanimity), what vices to avoid (pride, flattery, avarice), how to walk, what to eat, how to make friends, how to educate children, how to rule (promote peace and avoid war). The second part delves into the responsibilities of popes, cardinals, and bishops.The work was also published in Rome and Cracow in the same year.

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