Saint Augustine: The Citie of God (1620)

This is a handsome, early English translation of one of the foundational texts of Western Christianity, complete with renowned Renaissance commentary.

Author: Saint Augustine of Hippo

Title: Saint Augustine of the Citie of God: With the Learned Comments of Io. Lodovicus Vives.

Translator: John Healey (noted on the title page as "Englished first by J.H.")

Commentator: Juan Luis Vives (Io. Lodovicus Vives), a prominent Spanish Renaissance humanist.

Edition: Second English Edition ("now in this second Edition compared with the Latine Originall, and in very many places corrected and amended").

Publication Year: 1620

Printers: Printed by G. Eld and M. Flesher (George Eld and Miles Flesher).

Originally written in the early 5th century, The City of God (De Civitate Dei) is Augustine's profound theological response to the sack of Rome by the Visigoths in 410 AD. It explores the conflict between the Earthly City and the City of God.

This specific volume is notable for being the second edition of the first English translation by John Healey (whose first edition appeared in 1610). The inclusion of commentary by Juan Luis Vives—originally commissioned by Erasmus—adds significant scholarly value, as Vives's notes were highly influential in Renaissance humanist circles.

Large folio binding measures 13.25" tall x 9" wide. Externally in Fine condition beautifully bound by A.B. Buck in full crushed Morocco with seven compartments and six raised bands to spine with bright gilt rule and red Morocco label. Binding and hinges are excellent, new end papers and paste downs, Repairs to first and last couple pages, mild foxing, soiling and damp staining throughout, last 40 pages with some worm holing (see photos). Pages and text are still crisp, including elaborate woodcut initials and decorative headpieces.

A Foundational Pillar of Western Thought: The City of God (De Civitate Dei) is widely considered Augustine's magnum opus and one of the most influential works in the history of Western philosophy and Christian theology. 

The Ultimate Apologetic Masterpiece: Written in response to the Visigoth sack of Rome in 410 AD, Augustine defends Christianity against pagan claims that abandoning the old Roman gods caused the empire's collapse. It offers a fascinating window into the late antique world and the clash between paganism and early Christianity.   Augustine doesn't just write about theology; he extensively critiques Roman history, classical mythology, and Greek philosophy (particularly Platonism). The book serves as a veritable encyclopedia of ancient thought.  

Vives’s commentary was originally commissioned by Desiderius Erasmus, the "Prince of the Humanists." Vives’s notes don't just explain Augustine; they provide a brilliant 16th-century humanist perspective on the ancient text, making this volume a dialogue between Late Antiquity and the Renaissance.