La Philosophie des images enigmatiques

Lyon: Hilaire Baritel, 1694. Folding engraved plate. 19th-century calf-backed marbled boards. A good copy. First edition of this lengthy explication of occult talismans, pentacles, hieroglyphs, monuments, and characters found in esoteric ritual. Written by a Jesuit scholar, the text classifies enigmatic images according to their context and meanings without prejudicing Christian over pagan symbols. He identifies enigmas in Bible verses, classical poetry, the Kabbalah, and published prophecies and offers possible explanations and his reasoning.

Menestrier here seeks to distinguish between true and false enigmas to elucidate nuanced religious texts. He categorizes false symbolism as poetic or allegorical, which confuse readers looking for deeper meaning. His discussion includes the prophecies of Nostradamus and the Biblical Apocrypha; he attempts to decode their enigmatic language while denouncing their intentional vagueness. This book includes the first discussion of the prophecy of Malachi on the succession of the popes.

Caillet 7376; Enenkel, Jesuit Image Theory 83 and 125.