VII. Typographical tricks

Johannes Theophilus [i.e. Sebastien Castellion]. Theologia Germanica. Libellus aureus. – Anvers: Christophe Plantin, 1558 [i.e. vers 1578]. In-16.

Id. La theologie germanicque. – Anvers: Christophe Plantin, 1558 [i.e. Gerard Smits, 1578-1580]. In-12.

A mystical treatise originally written in German in the 14^th or 15^th century, Theologia germanica had been edited by Martin Luther in 1516 and then translated into Latin by Sébastien Castellion, a French Protestant humanist. The work was also esteemed by members of the House of Love, a mystical circle whose views Plantin shared. It was ultimately placed on the Index of Forbidden Books in 1621.

   Two editions, one Latin and the other French, display the date 1558 and the Plantin firm’s address. For reasons that remain unexplained, both editions are antedated (as proven by the typography). The French translation was clearly not printed by Plantin but rather by another Antwerp printer, Gerard Smits (1549-1580), to whom Plantin has perhaps entrusted the outsourcing of this potentially suspicious project.

Mazarine: 8° 26052 (latin)

Mazarine: 8° 21138 (french)

Cultura Fonds: CS 399 (french)

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