[Winstanley, William] [1626-1698]. The Protestant almanack for the year from the incarnation of Jesus Christ. 1668: Our deliverance from popery, by Queen Eliz. 109. Being the bissextile or leap-year. Wherein the bloody aspects, pernicious conjunctions, and fatal oppositions of the papacy against the Lord Christ, and the Lords anointed, are described. Calculated according to art, for the meridian of Babylon, where the Pope is elevated ninety degrees above all reason, right and religion: [...] and may without sensible errour indifferently serve the whole papacy. By Philoprotest: a well-willer to the mathematicks. London, printed for the Company of Stationers, and are to be sold at the Peacock in Chancery-Lane near Fleet-street, 1668.
In 8° (16 cm), A-D8, cc. [32]. Advertisement al verso dell’ultima carta. La seconda parte, con il titolo Ex ungue leonem: or The second part of the Protestant almanack for this year. 1668, ha suo proprio frontespizio in C1 recto. C1 verso è bianca. Imprimatur in A4 recto datato Nov. 28. 1667.
E’ la prima uscita di questo almanacco, violentemente anti-papista, che fu pubblicato anche negli anni 1669 e 1680-1685 e, dopo un intervallo, fu ripreso negli anni 1689-1700. In questo caso Winstanley ha utilizzato lo pseudonimo di “Philoprotest”. Tra gli altri suoi pseudonimi (“W.W.”, “H.N”), il più celebre fu “Poor Robin”.
Il pensiero di Winstanley e il tema principale, se non esclusivo, di questo almanacco si coglie già nel commento a margine del primo giorno dell’anno: John Wickliffe, martyr, his bones were digged and burnt, 40 years after his death: Truly, it was very kindly done, Popish cruelty does not use to be so long behind-hand: However, Gentle Pope, let us but all alonetill so long after our deaths, and we promise thy Popeship that we will not complain of hard usage. Anche le parti dell’almanacco di contenuto astrologico (così, per esempio, la B8 verso) hanno quale riferimento i delitti (incesti, avvelenamenti, crudetà e ingiustizie varie) compiuti dal Papa e dai suoi sostenitori. Quanto alla seconda parte dell’almanacco, basterà il sarcastico sottotitolo per capirsi: A brief chronologie of the Popes and their good works , who expect to merit Heavens for them. In conclusione: è un almanacco politico-religioso, in cui la parte astrologica è davvero meschina.
Esemplari: All Souls College, Oxford; Magdalen College, Oxford; Corpus Christi College, Oxford; Bodleian Library, Oxford; Christ Church Library, Oxford; British Library; Cambridge University; Henry Huntington Library Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, San Marino, California; Yale University; Pennsylvania State University; University of Texas, Austin; Harvard University, Houghton Library; Wisconsin Historical Society; University of Minnesota.
Bibliografia: Capp p. 385.
Le altre edizioni della prima serie, entrambe tutte di “Philoprotest”/William Winstanley:
1669, Cambridge, Printed for information of Protestant, A-K4, cc. [40]. Esemplare della Cambridge University;
1680 [London ?], Printed for information of Protestant, in 4°, A-E4; A-C4; A8, cc. [20]; pp. 24; pp. 16, con il titolo The last Protestant almanack, or, A prognostication for the year from the incarnation of Christ 1680: our deliverance from popery by Queen Eliz. 121. Being bissextile, or leap-year. Wherein the bloody aspects, fatal oppositions, and pernicious conjunctions of the papacy against the Lord Christ, and the lords annointed, are described. With the change of the moon, the rising and setting of the sun, or what ever is necessary or useful in an almanack. Calculated according to art for the meridian of Babylon, where the Pope is elevated ninety degrees above all reason, right, and religion; above kings, canons, councils, and conscience; and above every thing that is called God. 2. Thess. 2. and may without sensible error indifferently serve the whole papacy. By Philo-Protest, a well-willer to the mathematicks. Esemplare della British Library;
1681, London, Printed for The Company of Stationers, in 8°, A-C8, cc. [24]. Esemplare della Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington;
1682, Printed for The Company of Stationers, in 8°, A-B8 A8, cc. [26]. Esemplare della University of Texas, Austin;
1683, Printed for The Company of Stationers, in 8°, A-B8 A8, cc. [26]. Esemplare della University of Texas, Austin;
1684 [i.e. 1685], Printed for The Company of Stationers, in 8°, A-C8, cc. [24]. Esemplare della University of Texas, Austin;
1685, Printed for The Company of Stationers, in 8°, A-B8 A8, cc. [26]. Esemplare della University of Texas, Austin.
Le edizioni dal 1689 in avanti (seconda serie del Protestant Almanack) sono descritte sinteticamente nella scheda n. 8826).