* Relacion de la real tragicomedia con que los Padres de la Compania de Jesus en su Colegio de S. Anton de Lisboa recibieron a la Magestad Catolica de Felipe II de Portugal, y de su entrada en este Reino, cõ lo que se hizo en las Villas, y Ciudades en que entrò. Recogido todo verdaderamente, y dedicado al Excelentissimoo Señor Don Theolosio
Segundo Duque de Bragança, &c by João Sardinha Mimoso, Lisbon, 1620
First edition of an exceedingly rare tragicomedy performed before King Philip III of Spain (II of Portugal) and his Queen D. Isabel in the Royal Jesuit College of Santo Antonio, Lisbon, in 1619. The play, by Antonio de Sousa, describes the great deeds of Portuguese discoverers such as Vasco da Gama, and the deeds of others such as D. Francisco de Almeida, first Viceroy of India, and Alfonso de Albuquerque. Other characters include D. Manuel I and his councillors, the Ocean, the Earth, Brazil, and the provinces of Malabar. Barbosa Machado commented that this tragicomedy was greatly admired by contemporaries because in the course of its five acts, some 350 animals, birds and marine monsters were represented.
* Primera y segunda parte de Guzman de Alfarache by Mateo Alemán, Burgos, 1619
First complete edition of this masterpiece of the picaresca novel which exerted an enormous influence on European literature in general, and on Cervantes’ writing Don Quijote in particular.
1/4
Richard C Ramer Old and Rare Books
The Lusiad by Luís [Vaz] de Camões
2/4
Richard C Ramer Old and Rare Books
Carta de guia de casados, y avisos para palacio by Francisco Manuel de Mello
3/4
Richard C Ramer Old and Rare Books
Primera y segunda parte de Guzman de Alfarache by Mateo Alemán
4/4
Richard C Ramer Old and Rare Books
Primera y segunda parte de el Leon de España by Pedro de la Vezilla Castellanos
* The Lusiad by Luís [Vaz] de Camões, London, 1655.
First edition of the first English translation by Sir Richard Fanshawe who was English Ambassador to Spain and Portugal for some years. Camões’ epic poem accounting Vasco da Gama’s voyage to Africa and India in 1497-8 is one of the great literary monuments of European expansion and discovery.
* Carta de guia de casados, y avisos para palacio by Francisco Manuel de Mello, and Luís de Abreu, Madrid, 1724.
First Edition in Spanish, rare, of one of the best and most important works of Portuguese prose ever written. The Portuguese text of this superbly written courtesy book first appeared in 1651, with many subsequent editions in Portuguese. Immediately recognized as a classic of Portuguese prose, it was the author’s first publication in the Portuguese language: he had already established himself as one of the greatest Spanish writers.
* Primera y segunda parte de el Leon de España by Pedro de la Vezilla Castellanos. Salamanca, 1586.
First and only edition. This is one of the books which Cervantes featured in the library of Don Quijote and which was to be consigned to the flames without being inspected by the priest.