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Important collection of Jesuit letters and other texts from and on Japan, Korea, China, India, Peru and the Philippines

HAY, John.
De Rebus Japonicis, Indicis, et Peruanis epistolae recentiores.

Woodcut printers device on title and some woodcut initials, end-pieces and a sm. woodcut illustration on p. 338.

Antwerp, Martinus Nuntius, 1605. 8vo. Contemporary richly decorated blind tooled pigskin over wooden boards with ornamental and floral rolls. Woodcut printers device on title and some woodcut initials, end-pieces and a sm. woodcut illustration on p. 338. 968, (52), pp.

First edition of a very important collection of 55 letters [all listed by Cordier], written between 1577 and 1601 and compiled by John Hay (1546-1607), a Scottish Jesuit who was banned from his country in 1579 and became rector of the Jesuit College in Pont-a-Mousson in France were he died in 1607. The compilation is dedicated by Hay to Michel de Monchy, a Rouen clergyman, dated Antwerp, 1605.
The largest part of this collection of letters relates to Jesuits activities in Japan. A substantial part is devoted to Korea. Included are some rare accounts written by Japanese Christians, such as Michael Chijiwa Seizayemon (Nagasaki, 1590), Sanico Nobuaki, Protasius, the Daimyo of Omura, the Daimyo of Arima, and others. In a letter from Nagasaki dated 1592 the Jesuit missionary Frois gives details of Hideyoshi's campaign against Korea (p.147-178), and describes his following death. Also included is a general history of Japan, Brevis Iapaniae Insulae descriptio (pp. 6-8; the text is dated: Cologne, 24 January 1581), followed by an extensive letter on Japan ('De Japone Insula') by the famous Jesuit Ludovico Frois (pp. 9-45, written at Bonga on 6 June 1577).
The letters and reports, giving a general overview of the mission activities during the 1590's, are written by the Fathers Luís Fróis (pp. 45-6; Narrationes Indicarum, Shimonoseki, 15 Oct. 1586, pp. 80-105; Litterae annae Japonenses, Nagasaki, 1 Oct. 1592, pp. 118-202; (or Aloys Frois, Realatio historica de statu Japoniae, Nagasaki, 20 Oct. 1595, pp. 233-61; (or Aloys Frois, De morte Quabacondoni, Japan, Oct. 1595, pp. 263-88; letter to Claudio Aquaviva, De morte 26 crucifixorum, pp. 289-90; De statu, in quo Iaponii Christiani fuerunt ante hanc persecutionem … (De morteXXVI crucifixorum, pp. 291-343; De legatione Regis Cinensium ad Taicosamam, pp. 344-83; De rebus a PP. Soc. Jesu gestis durante persecutione, pp. 384-492; Organtino Gnecchi-Soldo Brixiensis (Miyako, 21 Sept. 1577, pp. 46-50; Letterv to Claudius Aquaviva, Miyako, 29 Sept. 1594, pp. 203-8; to Claudius Aquaviva: Historica relatio de omnibus Iaponiae regnis, Miyako, 14 Febr. 1595, pp. 209-32); Giovanni Francesco Stephanoni (Sanga, 24 July 1577, pp. 50-2); Francisco Cabral (Kuchinotsu, 1 Sept. 1577, pp. 53-8); Historica narratio rerum gestarum a legatis Japonicorum, interprete Reverend. Domino Henrico Cuyckio, (Louvain, 19 Febr. 1593, pp. 59-61); Acta consistorii publice exhibiti, a S. D. N Gregorio Papa XIII. regum Iaponiorum [Arima Harunobu, Ômura Sumitada, and Ôtomo Yoshishige] legatis Romae, 23 March 1585, p. 62); Litterarum exempla regum Iaponiorum [Arima Harunobu, Ômura Sumitada, and Ôtomo Yoshishige], ad Gregorium XIII. Pont. Max., pp. 63-5); Gaspar Gonsalvo, Oratio habita in legatorum Iaponiorum introitu, p. 66-73); Antonio Buccapadulius, [answer to Gonsalvo], pp. 73-4); Pedro Gómez (Usuki, 2 Oct. 1586, pp. 77-80; Relatio rerum in Japonia gestarum, 1597, pp. 505-12); Alessandro Valignano (Goa, Dec. 19, 1586, pp. 105-9; 18 Febr. 1591, p. 117; Japan, 10 Oct. 1599, pp. 516-39, translated by Joh. Hay, who also added a preface to Ferninandus de Bereur (Antwerp 1603, pp. 513--4); Goa, 28 Dec. 1583, pp. 642-9; Admiranda regni Sinensis, pp. 883-900, translated by Joh. Hay, who also added a preface to Vincentius de Siville (Antwerp, August 1605, pp. 879-81); Cochin, 14 Jan. 1588, pp. 911-2); Pedro Martins (Martinez) (1590, p. 109; Narrationes rerum Indicarum (Narratio memorabilis cuiusdam naufragii), Goa, 9 Dec. 1586, pp. 656-90, translated by Willem Huysman, who also added a preface to the rector and professors of Louvain (Louvain, 16 June 1589, pp. 650-5); Chijiwa Miguel (Nagasaki, 4 Oct. 1590, pp. 110-11; Nagasaki, 8 Oct. 1590, pp. 115-6); Ômura Yoshiaki (22 Sept. 1590, pp. 111-2); Arima Harunobu (Exemplar epistolae Don Protasii regis Arimae Japonice scriptae ..., 22 Sept. 1590, pp. 113-5); Francesco Pasio, De morte Taicosimae regis japoniae, Nagasaki, 3 Oct. 1598, pp. 493-504; Literae annuae Japonicae (Nagasaki, 30 Sept. 1601, pp. 587-636, translated by Joh. Hay, who also added a preface to Dom. de Gerponville (Antwerp 1603, pp. 584-6)); Valentin Carvalho, Nagasaki, 25 Febr. 1601, pp. 545-83, translated by Joh. Hay, who also added a preface to Gaston Spinola (Antwerp 1603, pp. 540-3); Franciscus de Castro (Ocania, 10 July 1580, pp. 637-41); Emmanuel Pinnerus, and others (Letters De magno rege Mogor, 1595, pp. 691-725); Nicolaus Pimenta, and others (De India orientalis, Goa, 1 Dec. 1600, pp. 726-859); Hieronymus Xavier, Narratio brevis rerum Societate. in regno magni Mogor gestarum, pp. 863-78 (translated by Johannes Oranus, who added a preface on pp. 860-2, Liège, 18 July 1601); Anonio Dalmeida, Narrationes rerum Indicarum, pp. 902-12; Nicolaus Longobardus, Narratio Sinensis, pp. 913-34; De missione Peruana, pp. 935-45; Martinus Perez, Nova ex missione provinciae Zinaloa (Mexico), Dec. 1591, pp. 944-9; Francescus Vaez, Literae annuae Insularum Philippinarum, 10 June 1601, pp. 950-68.

The list of letters and text contained in this volume are given at the end, numbered 1-40, and is fully reproduced by Cordier. Some of the letters had been published separately before, but most of the letters and reports the volume contains were published here for the first time. Most of the letters were translated by various authors, among them Henri Cuyck, Guill. Huysman, J. Oranus, J. Busaeus, but the larger part of the letters carry the words 'incerto interprete'.

This makes this work one of the most important compilations of knowledge regarding Japan and the Far East in the sixteenth century.

Very good copy of this rare collection of Jesuit letters with an important 17th century ownership's entry on title of the 'Monasterij Benedictoburanj': from the library of the famous Benedictine Abbey Benedichtbeuern in the South of Germany founded in 752. Glued to the back of the front cover is the printed armorial ex-libris 'E. Bibl. Radcl' with a stamp of the Bodleian Library, Oxford 'Duplicate, sold by authority'.-(Some wormholes throughout the text, clasps missing).

Cordier, Japonica, col. 246-8; Streit V, 58; DBS IV, 165; European Americana 605/57; Palau 112581; Sabin 31016; De Backer-Sommervogel IV, 165; Laures 271; Takahashi 1 -71; Ternaux-Compans, 931; Alt-Japan Katalog, 646; Alden / Landis, European Americana, II, p. 40; Medina, Bibl. Hispano-Americana, II, 498.

Related Subjects: Japan Jesuits Korea Mission

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