Surio - Commentarius Brevis - 1574

First Edition of Surius's Universal History: The Europe of the States
First complete edition of the Commentarius brevis rerum in orbe gestarum by Laurentius Surius, printed in Cologne in 1574 by Calenius and the heirs of Johann Quentel. A work of broad historical and theological scope, the volume traces the principal events in the Christian and secular world from 1500 to 1574, including religious wars, conquests, civil conflicts (such as the Dutch Revolt and the siege of Haarlem), as well as a rich panorama of European religious life. Surius, a learned and prolific Carthusian, was also an important translator of Rhineland mystics such as Suso, Tauler, and Ruysbroeck. The volume stands at the crossroads between political chronicle and spiritual reflection, embodying the Counter-Reformation aspiration to offer a coherent and apologetic reading of recent history.
Market value
Copies in good condition of the original 1574 edition have a noticeable presence on the international antique market, with valuations between €600 and €850. The value can increase for specimens with contemporary bindings and complete apparatus. Interest is particularly high among collectors of Counter-Reformation texts and chroniclers of the sixteenth century.

Physical description and condition
Parchment binding. Woodcut initials. Traces of woodworm extinct. Interiors well preserved, with no particular signs of wear. Pp. (2); 82 nn. 838; 2 nn. (4).

Full title and author
Laurentius Surius.
A Short Commentary on the Events in the World, from the Year of Salvation 1500 up to the Year 1574. Cologne: Godefridus Calenius & the heirs of Ioannes Quentelij, 1574.

Context
This work aims to present a universal view of history as an orderly succession of events within the providential plan. Surius's vision is strongly influenced by Counter-Reformation theology, and tends to show the ideal unity between ecclesiastical and secular power. Of great significance are the sections devoted to the war in the Netherlands and to overseas discoveries, a testimony to the author's attention to political and geographical current events. The documentary value is significant for the history of the European sixteenth century.

Author's Biography
Laurentius Surius (Cologne, 1522–1578), a Carthusian monk and humanist, was a prolific author of lives of saints, a translator of German mystical texts, and a compiler of religious chronicles. He was among the most active Catholic intellectuals in Germany during the Counter-Reformation, and his Commentarius brevis stands beside the monumental hagiographical collection he curated.

Printing history and circulation
Printed in Cologne by the well-known Calenius–Quentel workshop, the work was immediately read and spread among German scholarly circles and among monastic and Jesuit environments. The 1574 edition is the most extensive and systematic, and it is often found in bibliographic repertoires of late sixteenth-century history and in inventories of ecclesiastical libraries.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Joecher IV, 943; Machiels II, 665; Adams S-2101; Oettinger, Suppl. p. 243; Sabin 93883 (for the contents relating to America); VD16 S 10540.