Commentary on the Gospels for both the Seasonal Calendar and the Holy Days

A book from the University’s foundation collection, bequeathed to the town for the new University by Clement Littil, a local lawyer.  He was one of the group of people involved in setting up the University, but died before the formalities had been completed, hence the University Library dates its foundation from 1580, while the University itself was not founded until 1582.

The collection of sermons by Juan de Torquemada – a widely-read 15th-century theologian, and uncle to the better-known Tomás de Torquemada of the Spanish Inquisition – has moved less than half a mile in the past 500 years.  It was given to the house of the Dominican friars in Edinburgh by William Scheves, Bishop of St. Andrews, in 1497, and was probably still there when the friary was looted in 1559. Litill must have acquired it shortly afterwards.

University of Edinburgh, Rare Books Collections: Dd.4.20