Details
ANDRADE, Jacinto Freire de (1597-1657). Vida de Dom João de Castro quarto viso-rey da India. Lisbon: Craesbeeck, 1651.
2° (270 x 187mm). Engraved additional architectural title, engraved portrait frontispiece, one full-page woodcut illustration, tailpiece and initials. Cancel slip pasted over one word on Kk3r. (Small flaw on S2 affecting one letter, short tear on Dd3 skilfully repaired.) Late 19th-century crushed brown morocco gilt by Emile Rousselle, triple gilt fillet borders, spine gilt in 6 compartments, lettered in one, decorated with floral and foliate tools in the others, turn-ins gilt, gilt edges (corners very lightly rubbed). Provenance: early inscriptions in Portuguese and scoring of text, washed; Maggs Bros catalogue 519 Bibliotheca Asiatica et Africana IV, 1929, item 446 (description tipped onto front free endpaper).
RARE FIRST EDITION OF 'UN DES LIVRES CLASSIQUES DE LA LANGUE PORTUGUAISE' (Brunet). Apostrophised by Camoens as 'Castro Forte', João de Castro's appointment to the viceroyalty of India in 1547 was the reward of the bravery and military ability that he had demonstrated in campaigns in Goa and India in the previous 10 years. He only held the position until the next year however, until his death on 6th June 1548, in the arms of his friend St Francis Xavier. Andrade's account remains the classic biography of De Castro, as the number of translations and editions it has enjoyed testify (for example, Pinto de Mattos identifies 14 subsequent editions in Portuguese before 1828). No copy recorded at auction in over 25 years. BLSTC Spanish and Portuguese 1601-1700 309; Brunet I, col.263; Pinto de Mattos p.23 'os exemplares desta edição, são raros e estimados'.
2° (270 x 187mm). Engraved additional architectural title, engraved portrait frontispiece, one full-page woodcut illustration, tailpiece and initials. Cancel slip pasted over one word on Kk3r. (Small flaw on S2 affecting one letter, short tear on Dd3 skilfully repaired.) Late 19th-century crushed brown morocco gilt by Emile Rousselle, triple gilt fillet borders, spine gilt in 6 compartments, lettered in one, decorated with floral and foliate tools in the others, turn-ins gilt, gilt edges (corners very lightly rubbed). Provenance: early inscriptions in Portuguese and scoring of text, washed; Maggs Bros catalogue 519 Bibliotheca Asiatica et Africana IV, 1929, item 446 (description tipped onto front free endpaper).
RARE FIRST EDITION OF 'UN DES LIVRES CLASSIQUES DE LA LANGUE PORTUGUAISE' (Brunet). Apostrophised by Camoens as 'Castro Forte', João de Castro's appointment to the viceroyalty of India in 1547 was the reward of the bravery and military ability that he had demonstrated in campaigns in Goa and India in the previous 10 years. He only held the position until the next year however, until his death on 6th June 1548, in the arms of his friend St Francis Xavier. Andrade's account remains the classic biography of De Castro, as the number of translations and editions it has enjoyed testify (for example, Pinto de Mattos identifies 14 subsequent editions in Portuguese before 1828). No copy recorded at auction in over 25 years. BLSTC Spanish and Portuguese 1601-1700 309; Brunet I, col.263; Pinto de Mattos p.23 'os exemplares desta edição, são raros e estimados'.
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