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Classic in the field of Portuguese discoveries, settlements and sea-borne empire

ANDRADA, Francisco d'.
Cronica do muyto alto e muito poderoso Rey destes Reynos de Portugal dom Ioão o III. deste nome. Dirigida ha C. R. M. del Rey dom Felipe o III. deste nome nosso senhor.

Title in ornamental woodcut border with a vignette of the coat of arms of Portugal, many charming woodcut initials.

Lisbon, Jorge Rodriguez for the author & Francesco Lopez livreiro, 1613. Folio. Contemporary vellum over boards, spine with four raised bands and two (later) red morocco labels lettered in gold, blind fillets and stamped centre-piece on both sides. Title in ornamental woodcut border with a vignette of the coat of arms of Portugal, many charming woodcut initials. (19), 113, 134, 131, 155 lvs.

Rare first edition of the official chronicle of the reign of King João III of Portugal (1502-1557) who ruled Portugal from 1521 till his death in 1557, being the last decades of the Portuguese Golden Age. His reign is marked by the introduction and establishment of the inquisition in Portugal from 1536 onwards and by entrusting the monopoly on education to the Jesuits. The period is also characterized by the many expeditions to the Far East, especially Macao and Japan, and the colonisation of Brasil. The chronicle, as most of the contemporary chronicles, very much stresses these international developments over sea, neglecting more or less the internal affairs of Portugal itself, also considering the ubiquitous Inquisition, as always alert for printed actual accounts, especially those printed in the vulgar. Most chapters are devoted to the Portuguese activities in Asia - India, China, Malacco, Ceylon, etc. - , Africa - Mozambique, Zanzibar, Ethiopia, Ormuz, Suez, Tanger, etc. - and Brasil, a.o. to the founding of Salvador (Bahia).
Azevedo and Borba de Moreas call for 20 preliminary lvs., the copies found described (BL, BN-Paris, BN-Lisbon, Harvard Univ., PL-New York and Newberry Libr., Chicago) all have 19 lvs. as also in our copy. After the title follows a preface (1 lv.), privileges (1 lv.) and 16 lvs. with contents of the four parts in which the work is divided: part 1: fol. 1-113; part 2: fol. 1-134; part 3: fol. 1-131 and part 4: fol. 1-155.
D'Andrada (ca. 1536-1614) was the brother of the famous mystical writer Frei Thoméde Jesus. Francesco also wrote a well-known epical poem on the decisive sea battle in the waters of Diu in the Indian Ocean in 1538 - Primeiro cerco de Diu - which can be esteemed as a poetical appendix to this chronicle of the reign of João III, which itself is considered as a masterpiece of historiography and as a classic of Portuguese literature in general.

Very good copy with a blind stamped ex-libris of Antonio de Almeide Correa on the title and a gilt bookplate of the Huth Library pasted to the inner side of the front cover.- (Insignificant little hole in the outer margin of six lvs.; ties missing).

Da Silva II, 332, nr. 443 (only 17 prelim. lvs.) & IX, 249; Pinto de Mattos, p. 23; Figanière 142; Azavedo Samodaes 145; Borba de Moreas (1958) I, 29-30; Salvá 2813; Heredia 3238; Palha 2824; Rodrigues 171; Brasilien-Bibl. Robert Bosch 52.

Related Subjects: Africa Brazil India Portugal

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