Summa Aurea de Laudibus Beatissimae Virginis Mariae

For serious Mariological research in Latin, this set of books is a goldmine. For those interested, you will be happy to find that all of the volumes are available free online to download.

Summa Aurea de Laudibus Beatissimae Virginis Mariae edited by Jean-Jacques Bourassé (a collection of older books)
Published by Migne 1862

Volume 1 (Tomus Primus)
**** This contains the text of Mariae Sanctissimae vita ac gesta, cultusque illi adhibitus by Jean Chrysostome Trombelli which is also available here as its own book

Volume 2 (Tomus Secundus)
**** Volume 2 finished the work started in volume 1 and also includes Historia Deiparae Virginis Mariae by Cristobal de Castro which is also available here as a separate book and De Reliquiis B. Virginis Mariae by Trombelli (could not find as a separate book) and De Aedibus Quas Incoluit SS. Virgo and Iconographia B. Virginis Mariae by the same author. Also included is Biblia Mariana.

Volume 3 (Tomus Tertius) is listed in error as volume 11. It includes Mundus Marianus (not sure if this is the same one available online) and Kalendarium Marianum by George Colvener (online as Kalendarium Sacratissimae Virginis Mariae nouissimum). This volume also contains Church Fathers on Liturgica Mariana and Excerpta ex antiquis Liturgiis.

Volume 4 (Tomus Quartus)
**** This volume contains Trombelli’s De Cultu Publico ab Ecclesia Beatae Mariae Exhibito . It also contains numerous shorter works of Marian devotion, such as Annus Marianus, sive Corona anni Mariani ex SS. Patrum sententiis… by Cyrillo, the Contemplationes de Beata Virgine by Raymond Jordan (“Idiota” or Raymundus Jordanus)–these are the longer set of “Contemplationes,” Novendialia Exercitia pro VII Festis principalioribus B. V. Mariae by Seeauer and Hebdomada Mariana, seu septem dierum opus complectens pia septem Exercitia by Mariologi Bohemi.

Volume 5 (Tomus Quintus)
****This volume contains, among other books, Jesu Christi monita maxime salutaria de cultu dilectissimae matri Mariae debite exhibendo, by Henri de Cerf (1674), Defensio Beatissimae Virginis Mariae et Piorum Cultorum illius Contra Libellum intitulatum by Francisco Lodviscio Bona (1671), and sections on the Rosary and Scapulars.

Volume 6 (Tomus Sextus)
****This volume is made up entirely of a digest of teachings of the Church Fathers on Our Lady. It includes such authors as the Venerable Bede, Paulus Winfridus, Diaconus, St. Paulinus of Aquileia, St Theodore the Studite, St. Ivo of Chartres, Hugh of St. Victor, Robert Pullus, Bl. Guerricus, St. Amadeus of Lausanne, etc.

Volume 7 (Tomus Septimus)
**** Contained partially in Volume 7 and partially in Volume 8 is the Theologia Mariana of Virgil Sedlmayr. It is referred to as Scholastica Mariana by Bourasse. This book covers many questions about the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Volume 8 (Tomus Octavus)
****The last part of Volume 8 contains the first four (out of five) books of De Maria Virgine Incomparabili et Dei Genitrice Sacrosancta by St. Peter Canisius.

Volume 9 (Tomus Nonus) is listed in error as vol. 4. It contains book five of the previously mentioned work and B. Virginis mariae Corona Stellarum Duodecim by Georg Reismüller. Although this book is not online, a book that appears quite similar in subject matter is: Pentaphyllum Marianum by the same author. It might be an earlier edition. This volume also contains the beginning of the Polyanthea Mariana.

Volume 10 (Tomus Decimus)
****This volume contains the Polyanthea Mariana which gives a list of titles of Our Lady and where they are found.

Volume 11 (Tomus Undecimus) is listed in error as volume 6. Some of the original books contained in it are: Reges Mariani, Principes Mariani, Fundatores Mariani, Lilia Mariana (all by Marracci). Also contained in this is Maria Augustae Ordines by Nicolai and the beginning of the Atlas Marianus.

Volume 12 (Tomus Duodecimus)
****This volume contains part of the Altas Marianus, which gives the history of various miraculous images of the Mother of God. It also includes Sailer’s Imitation of Mary and Miranda Mariana by Cimarolo. An example of a story in this collection is: Mary discloses to Bl. Veronica of Binasco the negligence of the sisters, and shows what she had to appease.

Volume 13 (Tomus Decimus Tertius et Ultimus)
****This volume contains Elogia Gloriosissimae Virginis Deiparae Mariae ad ejusdem Litanias Lauretanas by Berlendi which can also be found as a separate book. It also includes Apostoli Mariani.

An old poem (122 years old, in fact)

“Tota Pulchra Es.”

THOU art all fair, O Mother blest!
In thee is found no stain;
Thou’rt purer far than whitest crest
That decks the troubled main.

Thy soul no taint did ever bear
Of imperfection’s shade;
And Satan never counted there
The blots his wiles had made.

First creature formed since Adam’s fall
Who shared not Adam’s sin;
Thy life was spent that mortals all
Celestial life might win.

Blest day, that sees a saint conceived,
A soul all undefiled!
What wondrous mysteries are weaved
Around that sinless child!

Glad sight to Heaven’s highest court.
They view their peerless Queen;
And feeble man’s most firm support
In that weak babe is seen.

O thou fond Mother, guard me well!
I trust my soul to thee;
Defeat the serried ranks of hell.
Safe guide me o’er life’s sea.

And when, all spent my mortal days,
I kiss Death’s fatal rod.
Be “Tota pulchra es” the phrase
My soul shall hear from God.

A. B. O’N., C.S.C.
December 8.

From Ave Maria Magazine, December 13, 1890