A unmatching but lovely complete edition of the epistles major treatises and mystical Sermons of the mystic Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Doctor Mellifluus, who Pope Pius XII declared as the last of the Fathers of the Church.  Celebrated for his Contemplative Mysticism of Love, famously articulated in the Sermons on the Song of Solomon, Bernard was also co-founder of the legendary Knights Templar and the driving force behind the explosions of the Cistecerian Order through the 12th century.  Here we have the decisively important Sermons on the Song of Songs where Bernard most dramatically develops his Mysticism of Contemplation and Love.  In addition are his numerous epistles, including those to fellow mystic Hildegard of Bingen and his cousin and co-founder of the Knights Templar Hugues de Payens, another co-founder of the Templars along with Bernard’s “Liber ad milites templi de laude novae militiae - Book to the Knights of the Temple, in praise of the new knighthood - the most important founding document of the Order.  There Bernard outlines the purpose, spirituality and rules of the new Templar Order.  An important and valuable volume for anyone interested in Grail legends, Freemasonry and the Templar Knights. A beautiful collection of one of the most important mystics in history, with a connection to Templar and Holy Grail lore.
 
1765. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux - Sancti Bernardi Abbatis Primi Clarae-Vallensis Opera - 1765 - Volumes I and III - xliv+308pp+lxx; 632+xxviii. Solid condition of the bindings, works in their full period vellum, small tears, rubbing from use, stains, red edges, gilded titling and numbering. Volume II Period white board cover, in monumental folio, uncut from printer, deckle edges.  Edges rubbed with some browning, foxing - typical of the age. - Good interior condition, beautiful initials, traces of water, foxing, clean texts. While not a matching set, it does provide an interesting insight into the history of printing.  With volumes I and III cut and bound in vellum and volume II uncut and rough bound directly from the printer, one can see how printing and binding remained distinct processes. Excellent for not only the collector for also for an educator teaching the history of printing.