Lisbon, Per João de Barreira, 1576.. FIRST EDITION. 4°, late eighteenth-century mottled sheep (very slight wear to extremities), smooth spine richly gilt, crimson leather lettering piece, gilt letter, marbled endleaves, text-block edges sprinkled red. Large woodcut printer's device on title page of a palm tree with mountains and setting (or rising?) sun in background, in an oval frame, with the words "Omnia" and "Omnibvs" vertically at each side. Woodcut initials. In very good condition. Bookplate of Aníbal Fernandes Thomáz. (4 ), 78 ll. *** FIRST EDITION of the first comprehensive treatise on proper Portuguese spelling, and only the second published study of any aspect of the Portuguese language, preceded by Fernão de Oliveira's Portuguese grammar of 1536 (see Saraiva & Lopes, História da literatura portuguesa, 9th ed., p. 25). It can be seen as part of the widespread effort in the sixteenth century to standardize the orthography of vernaculars. Duarte Nunes de Leão (ca. 1530-1608), whose name appears on the title page as Duarte Nunez de Lião (which is sometimes also given as Liam), historian, philologist, geographer, and jurisconsult (ca. 1530-1608), was born at Évora and studied civil law at Coimbra. He eventually rose to the position of judge of the Casa da Supplicação (court of appeals). His many other published works include the Repertorio dos cinquo livros das ordenacões (Lisbon, 1560), an important summary of Portuguese laws (updated by his Leis extravagantes, Lisbon, 1569), Chronicas dos Reis de Portugal (Lisbon, 1600), Origem da lingoa portuguesa (Lisbon, 1606), and Descripção do Reino de Portugal (Lisbon, 1610). Provenance: Aníbal [or Annibal] Fernandes Thomáz [or Tomás], 1849-1911. Writer, government official, and distinguished bibliophile, he was also a collector of ex-libris, super-libris, rare books, and prints. Fernandes Thomaz was born in Figueira-da-Foz and served as a postal inspector in Lisbon, as well as in other government posts. Concurrently he formed an outstanding library of books and prints and published prolifically on bibliographical and historical topics. His writings include works on Camões, Portuguese bookplates, Portuguese super-libris, Portuguese engravers, and engraved and lithographic portraits. His library was sold at auction in 1912; the catalogue is one of the most important for Portuguese books. *** Innocêncio II, 210. Anselmo 225. Barbosa Machado I, 736-7. Palau 196757. BN, Lisboa, Catálogo dos impressos de tipografia portuguesa do século XVI, 410. Coimbra, Reservados, 1473. King Manuel 154. Welsh, Greenlee Collection 2606. Mindlin, Highlights 504. Palha 668. Salvá 2359. Heredia 1481. Fernandes Thomáz 2726 (presumably the present copy). Azevedo-Samodães 2244. Porbase locates copies at Torre do Tombo, Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal, Universidade de Coimbra, Exército-Biblioteca). KVK (51 databases searched): Royal Library of Belgium; Bayerische Staatsbibliothek Münschen (internet resource); Universität Salzburg; EROMM (repeats Bayerische Staatsbibliothek internet resource); British Library. NUC: DLC, ICN, MH
