Adopt a Book: Charles Moore’s A full inquiry into the subject of suicide, 1790

The Archives and Special Collections Center is launching a new Adopt a Book program! This program gives donors the opportunity to contribute to the conservation of specific items from our collection that interest them. Each month, we will feature a different adoptable book here on our blog. To learn more about the program, or to make a donation, please visit our Adopt a Book page.

A full inquiry into the subject of suicide. To which are added (as being closely connected with the subject) two treatises on duelling and gaming by Charles Moore

Charles Moore (1743-1811) was a rector and vicar of the Church of England. He was born in London in 1743, and during his career he worked in churches throughout England. In 1792 he was appointed to the College of Six Preachers of Canterbury Cathedral, a distinguished group of priests who were called upon to preach both at the Cathedral and in their own parishes.

A full inquiry into the subject of suicide

A full inquiry into the subject of suicide is Moore’s most significant scholarly work. It was written as a response to Hume’s 1783 Essay on Suicide. While Hume argues that suicide can be justified and even preferable in some cases, Moore contends that any form of suicide is morally wrong and an affront to God. He includes an extensive literature review that is a great resource on attitudes towards suicide in the 18th century. He also wrote two treatises on dueling and gaming and their relation to suicide, which are included at the end of the volume.

Front cover of A full inquiry into the subject of suicide
Front cover of A full inquiry into the subject of suicide

The Archives and Special Collections Center holds a rare copy of A full inquiry into the subject of suicide. While the work was originally published as a two volume set, the Archives’ copy contains both volumes and the two treatises on dueling and gaming bound together as one. This copy is in need of conservation treatment to clean and repair its leather spine, reattach its back cover and some of its leaves, and mend damaged areas on its covers. You can help support the conservation of this important work! Any donation toward preservation of this rare volume would be gratefully accepted. To donate, please visit our Adopt a Book page.

Adopt a Book: I fioretti di S. Francesco

The Archives and Special Collections Center is launching a new Adopt a Book program! This program gives donors the opportunity to contribute to the conservation of specific items from our collection that interest them. Each month, we will feature a different adoptable book here on our blog. To learn more about the program, or to make a donation, please visit our Adopt a Book page.

I fioretti di S. Francesco, Il can del sole, Le considerazioni svlle stimmate by Duilio Cambellotti, 1926

I fioretti di S. Francesco translates to Little Flowers of St. Francis. It is a collection of readings about St. Francis, compiled by an unknown author in the 14th century. The Archives and Special Collections Center holds a 1926 copy of Little Flowers that is one of a limited run of the text which features illustrations and covers created by Italian Art Nouveau artist Duilio Cambellotti. The distinctive wooden front cover is milled to give it a curving shape, and is inset with metal decoration. Striking, brightly colored illustrations depict scenes from the text.

Wooden front cover with metal inset design.
Wooden front cover with metal inset design.

Duilio Cambellotti was born in Rome in 1876. He originally studied accounting, but soon turned to the arts. He became involved in many aspects of the arts, including painting, sculpture, theater, and design, and was influential in the Italian Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau movements. Cambellotti was especially well known for his Art Nouveau style illustrations and his furniture design.

Illustration depicting St. Francis surrounded by animals and nature.
Illustration depicting St. Francis surrounded by animals and nature.

The Archives’ copy of I fioretti is in need of conservation work to repair damage to the spine resulting from stress on the heavy wooden cover, and mending of minor tears and losses to the leaves of the volume. You can help support the conservation of this important work! Any donation toward preservation of this rare volume would be gratefully accepted. To donate, please visit our Adopt a Book page.

Adopt a Book this Giving Tuesday!

This Giving Tuesday, consider making a gift to support the conservation of rare books in our collections. Our new Adopt a Book program gives donors the opportunity to contribute to the conservation of specific items from the collection that interest them. Adopting a book is a great way to honor a loved one or commemorate an occasion while supporting the preservation of rare materials for generations to come. To learn more about the program or to make a donation, please visit our Adopt a Book page.

Primo volume dell’vso et fabbrica dell’astrolabio, et de planisferio by Ignazio Danti, 1578

Ignazio Danti (1536-1586) was an Italian priest, astronomer, mathematician, and cosmographer. Born to a wealthy family in Perugia, Italy, he grew up surrounded by artists and scholars. His father and grandfather were both architects and engineers, and his older brother Vincenzo Danti became a famous sculptor.

Raised in an environment that fostered his love of science and mathematics, Danti went on to make significant contributions to those fields. At the age of 18, he entered the Dominican Order and began studying philosophy and theology, but also continued learning about mathematics, astronomy, and cartography.

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Illustration from Primo volume dell’vso et fabbrica dell’astrolabio, et de planisferio

In 1562, he moved from Perugia to a monastery in Florence and began to work on many scientific and cosmographic projects. He painted maps and globes, created architectural plans for various buildings, and published over a dozen scientific treatises. These include Trattato del’uso e della fabbrica dell’astrolabio which was the first Italian work on the astrolabe, an early scientific instrument that enabled astronomers to calculate the position of the Sun and prominent stars with respect to both the horizon and the meridian.

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Front cover of Primo volume dell’vso et fabbrica dell’astrolabio, et de planisferio, showing losses and water damage.

The Archives and Special Collections Center holds a rare copy of Primo volume dell’vso et fabbrica dell’astrolabio, an expansion of Danti’s first work on the astrolabe. This important work is an early example of instruction in the use of scientific instruments in Italian, and it provided an important resource for Italian astronomers. This copy is in need of conservation treatment to clean and repair its leaves, replace its badly damaged cover, and reinforce its binding. You can help support the conservation of this important work! Any donation toward preservation of this rare volume would be gratefully accepted. To donate, please visit our Adopt a Book page.

Adopt a Book: Roma Sotterranea: opera postuma by Antonio Bosio

The Archives and Special Collections Center is launching a new Adopt a Book program! This program gives donors the opportunity to contribute to the conservation of specific items from our collection that interest them. Each month, we will feature a different adoptable book here on our blog. To learn more about the program, or to make a donation, please visit our Adopt a Book page.

Roma sotterranea: opera postuma

The vast catacombs of Rome provide a critical link to the past. Because they were shielded from the elements and remained nearly untouched for centuries, they have yielded spectacular examples of early Christian art, insight into the culture and burial practices of Rome, and stunning architectural elements. These catacombs were nearly lost to history, but were accidentally rediscovered in 1578 by laborers working in a field on the outskirts of Rome.

Shortly after the rediscovery, a number of scholars took interest in the catacombs and made explorations of them. However, none of these early explorers saw fit to fully document and publish their findings, leaving only scattered notes and oblique references to the catacombs as their legacy. One man, Antonio Bosio, is responsible for initiating serious and thorough archaeological study of the catacombs, earning him the nickname “Columbus of the Catacombs.”

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Antonio Bosio was born in Malta in 1575, and spent most of his life in Rome. He became interested in the catacombs at an early age, and read any text which he thought might give him some insight into the subject, including ancient records in Greek and Latin, ecclesiastical histories, lives of the saints, and theological treatises.

His determination to learn about the catacombs extended far beyond the study of books and manuscripts, and led Bosio to explore the underground structures himself—an undertaking that was often difficult and even dangerous. On one of his first exploratory trips, Bosio was so enthralled by the monuments before him that he had soon progressed so far through the twisting passageways that he could not remember the way back. He had lingered longer than expected, and his lights began to burn out. Eventually, he was able to feel his way back to the entrance and avoid joining the martyrs in their final resting place. That experience did not deter him in the slightest in his pursuit of knowledge of the catacombs, and he made many more investigatory trips in his lifetime. (Although thereafter he made sure to carry an ample supply of lights, food, and water on his expeditions.)

Bosio continued his work for 36 years. He devoted his life to it, and was one of the first to apply systematic methods of the newly forming science of archaeology to the study of the catacombs. In 1629, Bosio died at the age of 54 without finishing his work and bringing it to print. For a short time, it seemed that Bosio’s life’s work might never see publication. However, the Knights of Malta, to whom he had left his estate, recognized the importance of his research and entrusted Oratorian Giovanni Severani with editing and compiling the work. It was finally published in 1632, three years after Bosio’s death, in a large folio volume titled Roma sotterranea: opera postuma di Antonio Bosio.

Bosio dedicated his life to discovery, scholarship, and above all advancing our understanding of the archaeology of ancient Rome. While Bosio never saw his work come to fruition, it still lives on over three centuries later. No archaeological study of the catacombs can commence without paying homage to Bosio.

roma-sotteranea cover

The Archives and Special Collections Center holds a rare 1632 edition of Roma sotterranea. The book is showing its age (384!) and is badly in need of conservation treatment to ensure its preservation for years to come. You can help support the conservation of this important work! Any donation toward preservation of this rare volume would be gratefully accepted. To donate, please visit our Adopt a Book page.