[Henry VIII, King of England]. Regis Angliae Henrici huius nominis octaui Assertio septem sacramentorum aduersus Martinum Lutherum. Lugduni [Lyon], apud Guliel. Rouillium, sub scuto Veneto. M.D. LXI. [1561].
Softcover. First Lyon Edition. Quarto (215 x 155mm), pp. [lxxxxvi], 195, [1]. Signatures: 2b-2n4 a-z4 A4 B2. Near contemporary yapp style limp vellum, title inked to spine, Latin text in Roman and Italic letter, title within architectural columnar woodcut border, with a stamp of a saint(?), decorative woodcut initials, head- and tail-pieces, shoulder notes. Published with section "Literarum, quibus invictissimus princeps Henricus VIII: Rex Angliae dominus Hyberniae, ac fidei defensor respondit ad quandam epistolem Martini Lutheri ad se missam, & ipsius Lutheranae quoque epistolae exemplum". [USTC 153046]. Collated complete. The binding very secure. Covers with moderate marks and cockling, the top edges slightly chipped. First four leaves with some staining. A few very small brown spots or burn marks, however the majority of leaves remain clean. Lacking ties. Rare.
Note: Henry’s text (for which he received the title ‘Fidei defensor’) here has a lengthy polemical and virulently anti-Reformation preface by Gabriel de Saconay (1527-80), preceptor of the cathedral in Lyons. This attracted a satirical rebuttal by Calvin, ‘Congratulation à vénérable prêtre messire Gabriel de Saconay touchant la belle et mignone préface dont il a remparé le livre du roi d’Angleterre'. Originally printed in London in 1521, editions quickly followed at Rome (1521), London (1522), Antwerp (1522), Mainz (1522), Cologne (1523), Paris (1523), Rome (1543), and Lyon (1561). [USTC, 153046].
