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Memorial de la vida Christiana: en el qual se enseña todo lo que vn Christiano deue hazer dende el principio de se conuersion, hasta el fin de la perfection: repartido en siete Tratados: Compuesto por el R.P.F. Luys de Granada de la orden de sancto Domingo. Primer volumen donde se pone lo que pertenece a la doctrina de bien viuir; Segundo volumen del Memorial de la vida Christiana: en qual se contienen los tres Tratados postreros que pertencen a los exercicios de la deuocion, y del amor de Dios, 2 vols. (Salamanca: Andrés de Portonariis, 1566-1567) .

Luis de Granada's hugely popular Memorial de la vida Christiana was first published in Lisbon in 1561 (Llaneza 2: 133 n° 1569). The various redactions of the work, as well as English, French, German, Italian and Latin translations, were published 124 times before 1600, and many times more in the seventeenth century. There were 18 editions of the work in the years 1566-1567 alone, when this edition by Andrés de Portonariis (catalogue n° 76) was printed in Salamanca.

De Portonariis' edition presents the first redaction of the Memorial, which is divided into seven parts:

1. an exhortation to living well;
2. on penitence;
3. on the sacrament of Holy Communion, with meditations and vocal prayers (including a prayer by Thomas Aquinas);
4. rules for living the Christian life, or for living well;
5. on vocal prayer;
6. on mental prayer;
7. on the love of God, in which consists the perfection of Christian life.

The sixth part, concerning mental prayer, provides materials for meditation; these treat the principle mysteries of the life of Chirst, our Savior, from his conception to his return in glory at the final judgment and thence proceed to the other Last Things (fols. 133v-241r). After treating vocal and mental prayer in parts 5-6, Luis treats the prayer of aspiration in part 7 (chapter 4).

This edition by de Portonariis is printed in two octavo volumes; the first four tratados are in volume 1 and the last three are in volume 2. The title page of the first volume gives the date 1566, when the printing started, but the colophon on the last verso gives the date 1567, when it was completed. The second volume was printed in 1567. Both title pages bear the customary mark of Andrés de Portonariis: a medallion encircling a cross with wreath and crown against a background landscape (Llaneza 1: 17-18). There are two engravings in the first volume (A8r-v), showing Christ extending a hand to Peter across the water and a figure(?) offering a holocaust to God.

References: Llaneza 2: 143-44 n° 1587.

Catalogue No. 77
Call Number: Rare Books DURAND AGM3360      Catalog Record

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