Lisbon, Por Antonio Alvarez, A costa de Domingos Martinez Mercador de Libros , 1600.. First Portuguese Edition. Folio (26.6 x 19.5 cm.), mid-twentieth-century tan calf by Sansorski & Sutcliffe, London (a bit of wear to front outer joint), spine with raised bands in six compartments, short author-title lettered gilt in second compartment from head, date numbered gilt at foot, binder's name and place lettered in gilt inside front cover. Title page in red and black, a large oval woodcut representing a bust of Christ. Even larger woodcut in oval frame of Our Lady of Sorrows, depicting the Sixth Principal Dolor of the Blessed Virgin on final leaf verso. Woodcut initials, several of which are large and elegant. One large woodcut initial illustrates the Devil tempting Jesus with stones that he should turn into bread to eat (Matthew 4:1-4). Several elegant woodcut head- and tailpieces. In good to very good condition. (4), 341, (13) ll. []4, A-Z8, 2A-2T8, 2V5, X12 *** First Edition printed in Portugal of a book possibly first published in 1590 with no place or printer indicated, presumably in Spain; the only reference to this edition is via CCPBE, to a single copy in the Biblioteca Pública del Estado en Lleida; since that copy appears to be incomplete and in poor condition, this in all likelihood is a case of mistaken identity. Editions appeared in Toledo, 1596 (the earliest cited by Salvá, Palau and OCLC), Barcelona, 1597, and Toledo, 1598. The present edition is said to be significantly augmented. There were subsequent imprints of Alcalá, 1601, Madrid, 1605, Madrid 1621, Madrid 1622, and surely others. A second part was printed in Toledo, 1601, Lisbon, 1602, Madrid, 1603, and Madrid, 1621. A third part appeared in Madrid, 1605, two editions of Barcelona, 1606, and Madrid, 1621. A fourth part was printed in Madrid, 1611 and again in 1621. There are also several editions of an Italian translation. According to Palau, it is difficult to unite the various parts. Cristóbal de Fonseca (Santa Olalla, 1550-Madrid, 1621) professed in the convent of Toledo of the Order of San Agustín on February 8, 1566. After studying theology at the University of Salamanca, in 1591 he was appointed prior of the order's convent in Segovia and in 1607 he became provincial of Castile. Shortly after, he was Prior in the convent of Madrid. Fonseca was a contemporary of Cervantes , Lope de Vega and Vicente Espinel with whom he shares various mentions in their prologues. Apart from his mystical and religious work, he is considered the possible author of the apocryphal Quixote of 1614 . *** Anselmo 51. Palau 93175. Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal, Catálogo dos impressos de tipografia portuguesa do século XVI: a colecção da Biblioteca Nacional 270. Sousa Viterbo, A literatura hespanhola em Portugal, p. (95), 275, calling for only 3 preliminary leaves, and without mention of the supplementary ones. King Manuel 169. Not in British Library, Pre-1601 Spanish STC (1989), which cites a single edition, Toledo, 1598, "wanting the other parts." No edition in Adams. No work by this author in HSA, Printed Books 1468-1700. CCPBE locates three copies: Biblioteca Pública del Estado en Segovia (lacking the title page and with other leaves deteriorated), Biblioteca Pública del Estado en Badajoz Bartolomé J. Gallardo, and Fundación Universitaria Española-Madrid.
