Scarce English Edition By The Infamous Abbe Boullan

Description

Boullan, Joseph-Antoine. The Admirable Life of The Glorious Patriarch Saint Joseph Taken from the Cite Mystique de Dieu…. New York: D & J Sadlier. 1859.

 

Scarce First English and American edition of one of the only published works by the infamous “satanic” priest, Abbe Joseph-Antoine Boullan. Once a typical Catholic priest in France, when asked to look into the purported visionary states of a local nun, Boullan became convinced. Restyling himself as a John the Baptist like figure, he was excommunicated in 1856, the same year this book was originally written, thanks in part to the pair’s “lascivious” displays. Later, Boullan would clash with the followers of the holy man Vintras, as well as Oswald Wirth and Stanislas de Guita in what has become known as “The War of the Magicians”.

 

Far more famous for these later exploits, it is likely that the publisher, James Sadlier, had no idea of the controversies embroiling the author back in France when choosing this book for sale to New York’s booming Irish population. The Sadlier family proved so successful in this, they have remained the oldest family owned Catholic publishing company in the country: today’s William H Sadlier, inc.

 

James Sadlier’s wife, Mary Ann Sadlier, is noted for her contemporary writings on the Irish Diaspora in America, but also served as the translator for nearly all the firm’s French titles, including this one. Her name was not added until the 1873 revised edition.

 

8vo, 324pp, brown stamped boards with image of St. Joseph. Stain across top of front board and into image. Wear to edges with some fraying at bumped corners. Chipping and losses to top and bottom spine. Bruise to back board edge. Book block scuffed. Floral pastedowns and endpapers. Frontis engraving of the Holy Family. Pages clean. Good condition.

 

For more “Books That Go Bump In The Night”, check out our full catalogue: https://www.ellipsisrarebooks.com/e-list-2-books-that-go-bump-in-the-night