Portrait Politique des Papes, consideres comme Princes Temporels et comme Chefs de l'Eglise, depuis l'Etablissement du Saint-Siege a Rome, jusqu'en 1822. FIRST EDITION IN PERIOD BINDING

Bechet Aine, Libraire, Paris,, 1822. 2 vols., in 1, 8vo., First Edition; attractively bound in mid-nineteenth century half calf, marbled boards, gilt back, leather label lettered in gilt, a notably crisp, clean copy. SUPERIOR COPY IN PERIOD BINDING OF THE FIRST EDITION OF THE WORK WHICH TRIGGERED LLORENTE'S BANISHMENT FROM FRANCE. Juan-Antonio Llorente (1756-1823), Spanish historian and chronicler of the Inquisition, was born at Rincon de Soto in Aragon and studied at the University of Saragossa. In 1782, following his ordination, he was appointed Vicar-General to the Bishop of Calahorra. In 1785 he became commissary of the Holy Office at Logrono and four years later its general secretary at Madrid. In the crisis of 1808 Llorente identified himself with the Bonapartists and was for some years employed in superintending the execution of the decree for the suppression of the monastic orders, and in examining the archives of the Inquisition. On the return of King Ferdinand VII to Spain in 1814, Llorente withdrew to France where he published his great 'Historia critica de la Inquisition de Espana' (Paris, 1815-1817). Translated into English, French, German, Dutch and Italian it attracted much attention in Europe, and involved its author in considerable persecution. This establishment opprobrium was strengthened by the publication of his 'Portraits Politique des Papes' in 1822 and he was ordered to leave France at the end of the year, dying in Madrid on 5th February 1823. Both the personal character and the literary accuracy of Llorente have been assailed, but although he was not an exact historian there is no doubt that he made valuable (and in many cases, unique) use of documents no longer extant. VERY SCARCE

LLORENTE J-A. - Portrait Politique des Papes, consideres comme Princes Temporels et comme Chefs de l'Eglise, depuis l'Etablissement du Saint-Siege a Rome, jusqu'en 1822. FIRST EDITION IN PERIOD BINDING